and the voice of a Stranger And by the Spirit of the living God are we gathered up together up to God to worship him in Spirit and in Truth and are of one Heart and of one Mind and of one Soul and have all one Teachers and peak all one thing And we being all taught of the Lord are far from Oppression though we be Oppressed and for the Truths sake was I moved of the Lord to lay this before thee that our Conditions may be known that the Truth may not suffer under the reproach of the Heathen who live after the Flesh and Persecute them who live after the Spirit A word more to clear thy mistake when we spoke unto thee that the Lord would make thee an Instrument in his Hand to establish the Gospel wherein thou apprehendest us that should be established by an outward Law that was not our desire nor we spoke no such thing but we witness the coming of Christ in his Kingdom is not by Might nor Power nor Pomp nor Glory from without nor by any Law which is in the will of Man but our desires were that there should be no Law upon Religion for it needs no Law to defend it for pure Religion and undefiled is this to loose the bands of Wickedness and set the Oppressed free and take off every Yoke And where pure Religion is exercised this is the Fruits and if thou be guided by the pure Light of God shining in thy Conscience and the righteous Law set up in thy Heart and the Spirit of God thy Teacher then there need none â—â— desire thee to take away those Laws that ensnare tender Consciences and so they who pretend Conscience and are not guided by the pure Law of God will be seen by those who dwell in the Spirit to have erroneous Consciences and so this Law will take hold of them and the righteous Law is upon the Transgressor and limits the carnal Mind and fleshly Will but doth not limit the Spirit but is at Unity with it And therefore Friend to thy Conscience I speak and witness this to be true in the Presence of God that as thou art guided by this pure Light in thy Conscience and this Law of the Spirit set up in thy Heart thou canst not deny us for we are none of those which dispise Government and defile the Flesh who pull down others to set up themselves but all unfruitful works of darkness we deny and seek to advance the Government of Jesus Christ alone and love all and have unity with all who are here and honour all Men in the Lord and have fellowship with those whose Conversation is as becomes the Gospel of Christ and they who Rule and Live here cannot suffer any outward Law to take hold on us who stand in obedience to the Commands of Christ for there is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord sets free and commands obedience take heed how thou suffer any Law to limit that Spirit for they who are brought into the obedience of the Spirit are dear unto him as the Apple of his Eye and his care is over them and the Lord will free them from their Oppressors And thus were we pressed in Spirit to lay before thee our conditions and the conditions of our Brethren who are gathered into the eternal Unity where there is no Rent nor Schism that thou might not be ignorant of those things and to shew thee that our desire is not for any outward thing or self-advancing for all self we deny for we came contrary to our own will and we declare this unto thee contrary to our own will and if thou stand not in thy own will thou wilt hear us and own us in advancing the Lord Jesus Christ upon the holy-Hill of Sion that the Law might go out of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem and this we wait to see accomplished and his promise fulfilled in those who govern the Nations that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ And thus we have laid our selves naked before thee in the Presence of God and cleared our Consciences to thee and leave it to that which is pure in thy Conscience to judge Take heed for he that is in high Places is subject to many Temptations This I was moved of the Lord to Write unto thee who is a Servant of the Lord and a lover of thy Soul called John Camm For E. V. and the rest of the Flock of God in and about Banbury DEarly beloved Friends and Brethren in the eternal everlasting Covenant of Love and Life doth my Soul dearly salute you all who in your Measures keep in the same Love and Life and grows up in your stature which is well pleasing to God Oh my dear Hearts in the Life and Power of God which casts down Sin and slayes the enmity and gives you Victory and Dominion over the World which keeps you and preserves in the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all men upon the Earth to try them but you abiding in the pure Eternal living Measure of God dwelling in his Life and Power which is your Rock and hiding place shall be kept out of the same which the Enemy hath laid to take your Souls and here is your safe dwelling place so the Lord God of Power in his Life and Power keep you all in your dwelling place which is the Lord that with the Measure of him you may be guided which leads up into the Land of Righteousness into the Holy City where the uncircumcised and the careless and disobedient cannot come so with Bowels of dear and tender love unto you all who are Children of my Father and kept in his work I bid you farewel in the Lord and in him I am your dear brother for evermore John Camm My Wife and little Thomas dearly salutes you who are faithful in your places farewel As for my outward health it is much like as it was I grow weaker in the outward man but in the Lord is my strength and my support continually Glory and pure Praises be unto him for evermore Amen J. C. John Camm's Letter the 5th day of the 11th Month 1654. to Friends DEarly beloved in our Head and Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ our dear love in him Salutes you all yea truly the same love runs out unto you all who wait upon the Lord and abide in your Measures that we are loved with all of our Father and we are your Epistles written in your Hearts not with Pen and Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God and then you who are guided by the Light which comes from Christ Jesus may read us daily and truly you are dear and precious unto us as you abide and dwell in your Measures yea truly ye are our very Lines and the Seal of
wait upon him in singleness of Heart to be taught by him every one of you walking in the Light which leads up to him there you will see the Lord present with you but going out from the pure Light the Vail is drawn and the Enemy lodgeth upon the Vail then ariseth Doubts and Fears Questions and Troubles then you look back to that which is behind and forget the Mark which is before but dwelling in the Light and in the pure Fear of the Lord your minds will be stayed patiently to wait as the new-born Babes to be refreshed with the Milk of the Word and then you will know the gentle leadings of the Father and the green Pastures and the still Waters and the Dew from above upon the tender Plants and the watering of the Plants that you may grow as Plants of God planted into the true Vine growing in the Vine sitting under the Vine and abiding in the Vine that you may be Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that God alone may be exalted in you Oh dear ones our Bowels flows out to you and is poured out to the Lord for you we are bound to you even with the Bond of Love even the same Love as we had loved withal the same runs out freely to you and as we said to you the same we say again prize the day of your Visitation that you may know the things that belong to your eternal Peace and dwell in the Light and walk in the Light and meet together in the pure Fear of the Lord and dwell in Love and have no Fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness but reprove them and thou that reproves must be clear or else thou judgeth with that which must be judged so judge your selves first every one let self first be judged and condemned and that which judgeth and condemneth self let that speak and act and reprove unfruitful works and then your Fellowship will be in that which condemns self and then you will meet in the fear of the Lord and discern between the Righteous the Wicked and know the Voice of Christ and follow him and be subject to his Yoke and indure the Cross and rejoyce in the Cross of Christ and Minister in the Cross and have no Unity with that which is out of the Cross who mind earthly things such are Enemies to the Cross such are in the Hypocrisie and in Presumption speaking high words but run before the Light and lead up into the Air. Therefore all dear Friends we do Exhort Charge and Command you to walk in the Light and in the Cross that you may have Unity in the Life of God and that you may discern between the Holy and Prophane and receive not every spirit nor believe not every spirit In the Bowels of Love do we beseech you to walk worthy of your Calling Holy is he that hath called you Holiness becomes his House for evermore let the Holy guide your minds and it will lead you into Holiness into Pureness into Meekness into Love into Unity to watch over one another and to mind the good of one another and to be of one Heart of one Soul of one Mind all guided by one Spirit and walking in one Light all pressing on in one way which leads to Life and so all will come to witness one Life and one Teacher and you will see the Word within and the Law within and the Fear of the Lord within which will keep your Hearts clean and then Wisdom will be made manifest in you and the secrets of the Lord revealed in you which secrets are revealed to Babes not to the Wisdom of the World so dwell in Wisdom that you may know what speaks and to what you speak that none cast a Pearl to Swine but keep in the Unity and wait in Patience waiting for the Promises to be fulfilled in you when trouble comes be content wait low in Patience when Joy comes be low in the pure Fear and keep low and dwell in the pure Wisdom of God and the Lord God of Light Life and Power be with you and go along with you that you may grow up in him and have Dominion over the World that you may all dwell within and mind the Just to guide your minds continually we are with you written in your Hearts you may read us daily we even Travel with you and long after you that you may all wait to know Christ formed in you that we may rejoyce together for evermore over the Heads of our Enemies Dear Hearts in the eternal Love and Life of our God do we reach to your dwelling in the pure Life you will see and feel us present with you and we have Unity with as many of you as are faithful in your Measures so every one in your Measure wait upon the Lord that you may know Redemption from the World and so be witnesses of the Son of God by the same Witness as raised up him by which he bears witness against the World by the same Spirit you being raised will bear witness against the World so every one dwell in that which Judgeth the Earthly and works out the Earthly that you may know the Earthly wastes and the Earth grow feeble and the Gods of the Earth famished and the ground of Thoughts and Imaginations removed and the Covering taken off and the Vail rent and the Serpents head bruised and the Seed of the Woman brought forth which all the Promises are unto Yea and Amen in Christ which Seed is but one which Seed is Christ which Seed will not Bow and Worship the Devil for all the glory of the World but overcomes and gets the Victory So all be watchful when Temptions come keep low and still in patience wating upon the Lord that he may be feared and honoured who will provide a way to escape So dear and tender ones in the pure Light of God wait and there you will grow in discerning in Wisdom in pure Fear and there Love will be increased in and among you and the Unity of the Spirit will be known so all walking in the Spirit you will not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh Dear Hearts we write to you to stir up your pure minds by way of Remembrance Little Children keep your selves from Idols The mighty God of Life keep and preserve you in the pure Life of God Farewel your Friends in the Unchangable Everlasting Bond of Love and Peace Brethren and Companions to all who are in Tribulation in the Kingdom of Patience of Jesus Christ Read this amongst Friends at the Meeting Hereford the 25th day of the 7th Month 1654. John Audland and John Camm Edward Pyot DEar Heart we are now at Hereford but we are ready to go this day Ten Miles to a Meeting at Branyard we had two Meetings yesterday at Captain Hirings House the Governor and his Wife was there the latter part of the day and the joy of the
Lord is our strength his â—ower is with us all was silent there This is the day of Israels return out of Captivity joy for evermore will be your Portions waiting npon the Lord you will witness the gathering into the Fold so God Almighty keep thee and all of you in singleness up to him that he alone may be Exalted Salute us dearly to thy Wife and to all Friends as if we named them one by one we are bound to you by the Bond which never can be broken Farewel Remember us to Captain Beal and his Wife and to them at the Red-Lodge John Audland John Camm Dear and loving Friends IN that Unchangable Eternal Everlasting Love of our Father we Salute you even that Love with which I am loved of my Father that Love flows out unto that of God in every one of you without respect of Persons for you are all of you dear and near unto us as you abide in that which doth Convince you but turning from that by which your Hearts and Minds are knit together and brought into the Unity your minds being turned from that then the Unity is broken and the Bond of Peace and Love is broken and that doth make a Rent and a Breach and Schism amongst you for turning from the pure Eternal Light of God which leads up to the door into the Sheep-Fold and so would lead you into the Kingdom of God where there is Rest Joy and Peace for evormore but your minds turning form this you turn into the Carnal and into the Visible and so self gets up and from that nature proceeds self Separation and here the haughty nature gets up self-Exaltation and the Just suffers and by that nature the pure is Crucified and Slain and then Carelesness and Sottishness and self Love abounds which is to be Judged and Condemned by the Light and by the Life and from the Life of God do I declare against all that nature in every one that by the Light of God which you have all received a Measure of you may come to see that nature in every one of your selves which disappoints and separates you from your Head that by the Light that nature may be discerned and so judged and condemned by the Light But first every one come to know Judgment set up in your selves and self in the particular judged that Judgment may be set up in the Earth that the Inhabitants thereof may learn Righteousness and so Judgment being passed upon the Rebellious and Uncircumcised in your particulars and you walking and dwelling in the Life according to your Measure then may you boldly reprove others who walk not up according to their Measure for the Beam being cast out of your own Eyes you will see perfectly to pull out the Mote out of your Brothers Eye but it must be first out of your own or else you are Hypocrites And so I charge you all in the Presence of the Lord every one to keep your own Habitations and to be faithful to your Measures which you have received of God and you will come to grow and increase in the increase of God and abiding in the Vine you will become fruitful and you will become Beautiful and Comely Sweet Precious and Lovely in the Eyes of him who hath loved you with exceeding great Love and with loving kindness hath he drawn you in Measure out of the filthy Polutions and Heathenish Ways and Worships of the World and hath opened your Eyes and letten you see all things openly under the Sun and by the pure eternal Light which hath shined into you by it you see the pure Path and holy Way which leads up to God the Father of Light. Oh dear Hearts prize the eternal Love of God unto you and walk answerable to that Love which is manifest in every one of you for it is great and rich Love Oh the abundance of his Love and Free Grace let not his Benefits slip out of your minds Oh what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons and Children of the most high therefore doth not the World know us Dear Hearts walk in the pure eternal Love and Light of God that so you may come to the pure Life of God to follow the Captain of your Salvation who was made perfect through Sufferings that you may endure the Cross dispise the Shame and so come to pertake of the Immortal Crown of Glory which never fades away Oh my dear ones you are written in my Heart and I cannot forget you yea truly I am often with you in the pure eternal Love and Life and my Love runs out to you and my Life is with you and our Rejoycing will be to behold your Faces and to find you walking up orderly in your measure that when we see your Faces in the outward we may see you Beatiful Comely Fresh and Green casting a goodly Smell to all that come nigh you that so you may Preach to the Heathens by your Pure Holy and Godly Conversation letting your Light shine forth in your lives that all who see your Conversation who are Enemies to the Truth may have their Mouthes stopped and be ashamed and confounded and be made to confess the Lord is with you So my dear Hearts all as one who abides in that which is one which unites and knits your Hearts together and gathers up into its self in that we are with you present in that dwell and there you will be preserved and kept safe from your Enemies And the Eternal Everlasting Love of God over-shadow you and keep you in the pure Fear and Power of the Lord over all the World to remain and so we cease to Writ but not to Love you and Pray for you and remain your Friends in the unchangable Love of God. John Camm John Audland John Aulland's John Camm's Letter to Friends at Bristol Dearly beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ you whose minds are turned towards the Lord upon him to wait to receive the hidden Treasure which comes from above Grace Love and Peace be unto you in you and among you that you may grow in Grace in Love in Purity and in the Fear of the Lord this Peace is to you who are waiting upon him from whence peace comes to that which is not of the World but is contrary to the World and gives Victory over the World and bears Testimony against the World for wo unto the World no peace unto the Earth but a Sword and all which is contrary to the Light is to be cut down with the Sword and the Sword is drawn and all that must be cut off which is against the raign of the Lord Jesus therefore all wait in the true discerning and in the true judgment that you may know the redemption of the Soul And prize the Love of God to you in visiting you and letting you see the wayes of the World and the worships of the World and his Love hath been and
separated John Audland DEar and well-beloved Friends in the pure Love Life and Unity of the Spirit do I Salute you and Greet you in the Unity of the Spirit am I with you present and our fellowship doth endure forever walking in the Spirit and keeping the Unity of the Spirit then are we present in the Spirit But who walk after the Flesh and live in the Flesh and to the Flesh such are not present in the Spirit who lives not in the Spirit and all such Fruits will dye and wither and fade away Now my dear Friends in love and life wait in your Measure of the Spirit that you may profit and grow up in the Spirit which is pure and purifies and leads up into Purity and Holiness and Righteousness in which stands the Kingdom of God and nothing that is unrighteous can enter into that Kingdom which stands in Righteousness where the Lamb dwells who is the Light of the Holy City which is the Habitation of the Righteous where the Throne of the Lamb is exalted all Crowns cast down and the Lamb alone Reigns and they who follow him whose Garments are washed who have come thorow Tribulation who stands before the Throne singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb who are redeemed from among men Glory Glory for evermore unto him who Reigns over all who is the faithful witness who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore out of whose Mouth proceeds the two edged Sword which cuts and divides which is as a Fire and as a Hammer by which Sword the wicked is slain and none that defiles can escape it for it turns every way to keep the tree of Life and none have right to eat of the Tree of Life but they that enter in at the strait Gate and stands pure before the Throne of the Lamb from his Throne proceeds the River of living Waters where the Hungry Thirsty are refreshed and satisfied and by it the righteous man is planted his fruit shall never wither nor his leaf shall never fade but shall be as a fruitful Branch abiding in the Vine and growing in the Vine Oh my dear Friends abide and continue in that which hath called you and prize the Love of God never let his Benefits go out of your Minds dwell low and single in the Fear of God that you may be kept open and tender in Love and Unity to grow together and there am I with you in Bowels of love and tenderness God is my witness my heart Burns within me to you and my Life reacheth to the Life in you and I have great breathings in my Spirit to the Lord for you Oh let me be refreshed in your growth my well-beloved Ones in whom my Soul delighteth that we may travel on together and feed together on that which lives for evermore and gives Life for ever more be not weary neither faint in your Journey my dear and precious Ones but wait upon the Lord God and your strength shall be renewed daily and your Life refreshed daily be faithful and abide in the daily Cross of Christ endure it and the Enemies of God will be cut down by it and the residue of the Heathen will be Crucified and Christ alone Reign and all those be cut down that would not have him to Reign such are Enemies to the Cross and their end is Destruction have no fellowship with such I exhort and charge you from the Lord who is arisen in his Power to redeem Sion and to take Vengeance upon all his Enemies I am melted to melt you in pure love and tenderness I am even broken to break you the Searcher and Revealer of all Secrets bears me witness that I lve not and I am charged to charge you to abide in the daily Cross of Christ that the Just may reign that the Living God may be exalted amongst you whose name you bear And therefore what manner of Persons ought you to be Oh I even beseech you that you walk worthy of your calling in Bowels of love My dear and well-beloved Ones you bear the Name of the Living God and his Fame thorow you is spread abroad and the Dread of the Lord God takes hold upon the Heathen and now is the Lord making known his Wonders as ever was in any day his strange Act is he bringing to pass and his Work blessed are your Eyes that see and your Ears that hear and who are not offended at his coming but deny all to follow him that you may be found worthy to believe in him and suffer with him that you may Reign with him for evermore Let it not be a light thing to any amongst you that you bear the Name of the holy One but for his glory by whom you are called and whose Name you bear stand single and abide in the Life and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth that the Heathen may be confounded and scattered who watch against you that they might say where is their God. And now are they gathering together all their Inchanters if so be they might prevail for now the day of their Torment is begun and the Voice of him that hath roared from his holy Place doth pursue them and their can be no hiding place found Terrour Wo and Misery is coming upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth let all Flesh bow and tremble before the Lord his Fire is kindled and his Sword is drawn and his Bow is bent and his Sword shall be made fat with Slain and drunk with the Blood of his Enemies the Sword is doubled that no Flesh may escape from the South to the North Because of the Tidings I am Smitten to Smite the Lion hath roared terrour terrour to all the World the day of Visitation is come the day of Redemption is come the day of Recompence is come the Jealousie of the Lord will burn like Fire and the Word of the Lord is gone forth and by his own Power shall it be fullfiled And the Vials Wrath Judgment Vengeance and the mighty Storm of Hail shall be poured upon the Heathen and who can stand when God doth this And this is his day and by his own Arm shall be performed the Righteous shall shine forever and ever and shall dwell on high their Bread shall be sure their Waters shall not fail the Just God will do Righteously and the Righteous shall not perish with the wicked the Lord hath said it The righteous ones shall be rewarded and shall Inherit the holy Mountain and lie down in the Mountain where the Lion and the Lamb lie down together and the Wrath of the Lamb is as the roaring of the Lion and all who follow the Lamb the Lion goes before them there is your strength my beloved Ones stand stedfast and be faithful and the Lord is with you and no Weapon formed against you shall prevail The mighty Power of the Lord God go along with you to keep you in his pure Power
mighty Power of the Lord will apear amongst you meeting often together and faint not neither be weary the Lord God will appear amongst you and terrour shall smite your Enemies so in the Name of the Lord do we exhort you and charge you to abide in that which you have received from the Lord waiting upon him in meekness and lowliness and the humble shall know his way So keep low and learn and Grace will be given unto the humble my Life reacheth to you my Soul is poured forth to the Lord for you that you may grow and increase in the unsearchable Riches of Christ and the mighty Power of the Lord God be among you and in you to carry you through that you may Inherit all things I Salute you all in the Bowels of love and am your Servant for Jesus sake and am with you in Joy and in Tribulation John Audland John Audlands Letter from Kendal to Friends at Bristol June 1655. DEarly beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied in you and among you that in it you may all be established and grow as living Plants and be fruitful in him that hath called you to Grace and Vertue that you may live in it and abound in every good work to the praise of the Lord whose love hath been manifested amongst you and you have heard his Voice and been Witnesses of his Power and his eternal Love hath been abundant towards you Therefore all Friends of your high calling walk worthy and press hard after the Mark so runing that ye may obtain every one of you in particular abiding in the strait way and in the Cross daily which is the delight of the Just and peace and refreshment to the Just in you all that in the Just you may all dwell and then the earthly comes to dye and judgment is executed upon the wicked and the Famine comes on all the Gods of the Earth and the day of separation and sorrow upon all the Lovers and the Mortification of the old Man and as that dies the Spirit is quickned and waiting on the Lord every one your strength comes to be renewed and your Life refreshed So to you all Friends Lambs and Babes of God whose minds are staid upon God their Food you will receive from the living God and grow every one in your Measure walking as you have received and prising the love of God unto you which hath been and is large and bountiful who hath searched you out who was scattered in the cloudy dark day and found no rest to your Souls but wandered from Mountain to Hill and laid dissolate and barren in a waste howling Wilderness and no eye pitied but he alone who is mighty to save hath visited you and your time was the time of love and he hath loved you with an everlasting love and drawn you in much tender mercy and given his Son for a Light that you might all walk in it and have fellowship in it And now my dearly beloved ones stand fast in that which brings eternal Freedom and makes free and be faithful every one in your measure to you all I speak as to one that you may grow in love and walk in love and in it be established for it will endure for ever oh let it be your joy to do the will of God in all singleness and to dwell in his fear and abide in the daily Cross reason not nor consult not for the mystery is hid from that eye but dwell low and learn there that subject to the Yoke every one of you may be and wait upon the Lord meeting in his fear watching one over another and abiding in the Light that your fellowship may stand in that which is the Worlds condemnation my Soul is poured out to the Lord for you and my Bowels runeth freely to you in pure love and singleness that you may all be preserved in the pure fear of the Lord out of the snares of the Enemy that in the eternal Counsel of God you may abide and be stedfast in the hour of Temptation Dear Hearts keep every one to your own measure which from the Lord is given unto you that you may witness the presence of the Lord amongst you and find his Power and hear his Voice that your Hearts may be kept open to receive the living Mercies from the living God that in the day of tryal you may stand and in the time of Famine your Soul's may be kept alive and when the Lord takes account of you you may give it with joy and be found faithful and fruithful in him This charge do I lay upon you from the Lord that you dwell and abide low in the Fear of the Lord in love to God there walking every one in the living as examples that the Lord alone may be exalted no Pride no Strife but in the Cross abide which judgeth that and takes away the occasions of Wars and the eternal everlasting powerful Presence of the Lord keep you all and be amongst you and go along with you for evermore I am your dear Friend and Companinon in joy and Tribulation John Audland My dear Brother John Camm doth dearly Salute you all in that which is eternal and never changeth he is pretily recovered and to you his love is exceeding great The School-Master Disciplin'd Or a Reply to a lying Paper Entitul'd the Gadding Tribe reproved Put forth under the Name of George Willington School-Master in the City of Bristol in which he is proved to be the gadder and lyar which with the Light is for condemnation Also an Answer to a Scandalous Paper put forth by William Prynne entituled The Quaker unmasked and clearly detected wherein his Slanders are made to appear and he clearly detected being taken with a lye in his mouth Whereunto is added a Reply to an additional Paper put forth by William Prynne in his lying inlarged Edition of his scandalous Paper aforementioned in which he is more unmasked and proved to be spawned from the father of Lyes whose refuge is sweeping away WHereas there is a Paper lateput forth intitul'd The gadding Tribe reproved by the Light of the Scriptures by one who writes himself George Willington School-Master in the City of Bristol whose Book is very silly and vain but that Fools love to be medling and in it there is much railing lying and false accusing against those people called by the Scorners Quakers I shall say something as to it for the Truths sake that the lyes may rest upon his own head from whence they came Whereas thou sayest A word from the Word to the Serpent generation called Quakers especially to the conniving Seducer John Audland and the rest of his Brethren in iniquity who have of late set forth a malicious Pamphlet against our godly Magistrates and faithful Ministers intituled The innocent delivered out of the snare and the blind guide fallen into the Pit. Reply The innocent delivered out of the snare
that makes truly Rich and everlasting happy and Truth in the inward parts the Lord loves and every one to speak the Truth from his Heart to his Neighbour and to his Friend watching over one another for good in Truth and Uprightness then there will be no treacherous dealer in the Assembly nor none that lies in wait to hurt the Poor and Harmless nor none to Exalt themselves above their measure in the knowledge which puffeth up and despiseth the Lowly and the Poor such will the Lord God throw down therefore all fear before the Lord and none be high-minded if any man boast he beareth not the Root every one keep in the Pure life in the true love and fellowship of the Gospel of Peace and all look to the Author and the Finisher of your Faith which in Truth stands in the Power of God then you all keep your Habitations your walking is in steadfastness and your going comes to be established Let all be warned and awaked for the Lord is at hand who will bring every mans work to the tryal and happy for evermore are all they who are found faithful when they are weighed in the Ballance of Equity and true Judgment Sow in Patience press on in the way of Righteousness serving the Lord with one consent calling upon his Name with one accord keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace so will you rejoyce in the Lord alone who is the Succourer of the Poor and the Refuge of the Needy in the Day of distress Let all that know him praise him and fear him and in singleness of heart wait upon him whose Mercy endureth for evermore Let nothing draw you from your holy calling and stedfast waiting upon the Lord nor separate you from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Light our Life and our Redeemer So the Lord God Almighty multiply his Grace Mercy and Love his Life Light and Power in you and amongst you that you may be grounded rooted builded established and in the everlasting Covenant of Life find Peace where you may rest in the City of God whose Gates is Praise and hath Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks where no Weapon can prosper that is formed against you glory and honour and living Praises be unto the Lord our God from all who know him now and for evermore I am your Friend who truly desireth after your Prosperity in the Life that shall never dye John Andland To Friends in Westmorland who Love the Truth and in Cumberland Bishoprick c. An Epistle to Friends DEarly beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ Brethren and Sisters in the Eternal Spirit Members of the Body of Christ Grace Mercy and Peace from our God be multiplied in you that every one of you in particular may grow in your measure and encrease in the unsearchable Riches of our God Oh! ye Plants of Gods renown planted into the true Vine by the true Husbandman dear and precious are you to us as you abide in the Vine and grow in the Vine there you are our joy and we are refreshed continually in the Unity of the Spirit for in it are you present in us and we in you in our Hearts are ye written by the Spirit of the Living God and we read you daily our Life is one our Joy is one our Sufferings are one and our Victory is one Oh! Dear Hearts our love reacheth you and our Bowels are shed towards you our Hearts are broken when we know of your faithfulness and stedfastness in the work of the Lord waring against all Deceipt and watching every one in your measure to be serviceable in the calling whereunto you are called we speak the Truth in Christ we lye not it is like precious Ointment shed abroad in us which gives a sweet smell unto us that we are much refreshed by it to know of your faithfulness and boldness to know of your labour and carefulness and tenderness towards one another in the Lord it is like Balm upon our Head in rememberance of you our hearts are broken and we rejoyce to behold your order in the Lord dwelling and abiding in him who is our Head and therefore in the Name of the Lord Jesus do we exhort charge and command you every one to abide in your measure in the true Vine and to dwell and walk in the Light which is Eternal by which you will judge all double minds who talk of the Unity of the Light but do not walk in the Light and abide in the Unity such are not of the Body who do not abide in the Vine but you who do abide in the Vine try all such and have no fellowship with unfaithful Workers for such are unfruitful who do not abide in the Vine such are they who mind earthly things who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ who walk not in the Light with the Light of God all such are seen abiding in it you will separate the clean from the unclean and true Judgment from the Life which is pure will be given upon the impure none can judge but he that is pure thou that judgest another and dost the same things thou art for Judgment let all Flesh be silent before the Lord God and dwell all in the Life of the Son of God in which you will comprehend all busie minds and forward minds who abide not in the Life who are not to judge but to be judged with the Life so in the Life dwell every one and there you have all one Life and we are with you in the Life which was before the World was in that which was before time which in time was made manifest which brings up out of time in that have we Unity and there we behold you ye faithful Ones ye Sons and Daughters of the Lord unto whom the Promise is made manifest which is Yea and Amen to the Seed which Seed is but one unto which shall all Nations bow and they that set themselves against you shall surely fall before you the Lord hath blessed you and you are blessed by his own right hand hath he planted you and the shout of a King is heard amongst you and his Voice is terrible to the Nations and dreadful to the Heathen round about cursed are they that curse thee happy art thou O Israel a People saved by the Lord the Lord of Hosts is with you and there is no Inchantment against you no Weapon formed against you shall prosper the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Therefore in the Name of the Lord and in his fear abide every one for the Voice that is heard amongst you gives Alarm to the Inhabitants of the Land and because of the Man-Child that is born in you are the Nations troubled rejoyce for evermore ye Saints of the most high God for Power is given you to be avenged of all your Enemies yea even to War against the Beast and to make the Whore Desolate the Fire that is kindled
amongst you torments all her Lovers Praises Praises Eternal to the Living God who appeareth for us and gives us Victory over our Enemies Dear ones the mighty Power of the Lord is with us and our Bow abides in strength and terror takes hold upon our Enemies here are multitudes Convinced of the Etornal Truth and the Witness of God is raised and judgment is begun to the terror of many this is the Day of Sions deliverance Glory to our God for ever for he spreads my Table and makes my Cup overflow the Mighty God of Power keep you my care is for you and God is my Witness I cease not daily to make mention of you in my Prayers O! prize his Love for evermore you who were sometime afar off but now are made nigh by the Blood of Christ walk in his Fear Holiness becomes the House of the Lord for ever Farwell Your Dear Brother in the Eternal Spirit of God. John Audland John Audlant's Letter to Friends DEarly beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ Grace Mercy Peace be multiplyed in you and among you that in it you may all be Established and grow as living Plants and be fruithful in him who hath called you to Grace and Vertue that you might live in it and abound in every good Work to the praise of the Lord whose Love hath been manifest amogst you and you have heard his Voice and been Witnesses of his Power and his Eternal Love hath been abundant towards you therefore all Friends of your high Calling walk worthy and press hard after the mark so runing that ye may obtain every one of you in perticular abiding in the straight Way and in the Cross daily which is the delight of the Just and Peace and Refreshment to the Just in you all that in the Just you may all dwell and there the Earthly comes to dye and Judgment is executed upon the wicked and the Famine comes upon all the Gods of the Earth and the day of Separation and Sorrow upon all the Lovers and the Mortification of the old man and as that dyes the Spirit is quickned and waiting upon the Lord every one your Strength comes to be renewed and your Life refreshed So to you all Friends Lambs and Babes of God whose Minds are stayed upon God there Food you will receive from the living God and grow every one in your Measure walking as you have received and prising the Love of God to you which hath been and is large and bountiful who hath searched you out who was scattered in the cloudy dark day and found no Rest to your Souls but wandered from Mountain to Hill and laid desolate and barren in a waste howling Wilderness and no Eye pittied but he alone who is mighty to save hath you visited and your time was the time of Love and he hath loved you with an Everlasting Love and drawn you in much tender Mercy and given his Son for a Light that you might all walk in it and have fellowship in it And now my Dearly beloved Ones stand fast in that which brings Eternal Freedom and makes free and be faithful every one in your Measure to you all I speak as to one that you my grow in Love and walk in Love and in it be Established for it will indure for ever Oh let it be your Joy to do the Will of God in all Singleness and to dwell in his Fear and abide in the daily Cross Reason not nor consult not for the mystery is hid from that Eye but dwell low and learn thee that Subject to the Yoke every one of you may be and wait upon the Lord Meeting in his Fear watching one over another and abiding in the Light that your Fellowship may stand in it which is the Worlds Condemnation my Soul is pouned out to the Lord for you and my Bowels run freely to you in pure Love and Singleness that you all may be proserved in the pure Fear of the Lord out of the Snares of the Enemy that in the Eternal Counsel of God you may abide and be stedfast in the time of Temptation Dear Hearts keep every one to your own Measure which from the Lord is given unto you that you may witness the Presence of the Lord amongst you and find his Power and hear his Voyce that your Hearts may be kept open to receive the living Mercies from the living God that in the Day of Tryal you may stand and in the time of Famine your Souls may be kept alive and when the Lord takes account of you you may give it with Joy and be found faithful and fruitful in him this Charge do I lay upon you from the Lord that you dwell and abide low in the Fear of the Lord in Love together walking every one in the Living as examples that the Lord alone may be exalted no Pride nor Strife but in the Cross abide which Judgeth that and takes away the occasion of Wars And the Eternal everlasting Powerful Presence of the Lord keep you all and be amongst you and go along with you for evermore I am your Dear Friend and Companion in Joy and in Tribulation John Andland My Dear Brother John Camm doth Salute you all in that which is Eternal and never changeth he is pretily recovered and to you his love is exceeding great John Audland's Letter to a Priest concerning Tythes INstance if thou canst of one out of the Scriptures that ever came in at the door that did ever sue Men at the Law for Tythes Wages or Easter-Recknings if thou canst not prove it by the Scriptures thou art Antichrist that doth not abide in the Doctrine of Christ and no Minister of Christ but one of Baal's Priests if thou be a Minister of Christ and come to my House what I have I will set before thee and thou shalt freely Eat but to give my Corn and Hay Calves and Foles Wooll and Lambs Geese Hens Piggs Eggs and other things to be carried to thy House Christ gave no such Command that People should bring such things to his Disciples but said Freely you have received freely give Eat and Drink such as they set before you And so if you be sent out by Christ to Preach the Gospel which Gospel thou canst not receive of Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and if thou come to my House and freely minister unto me Spiritual things I will freely minister unto thee Carnal things But the Apostles who were sent into the World to Preach the Gospel which Gospel they received not at Oxford and Cambridge nor by Studying Authors but spoke forth that which they were partakers of which was contrary to the Will of Man they did not enquire out a great Benefice or a Personage and there set themselves but went up and down Preaching the Gospel freely and did not make it Chargable to any but said We have coveted no Mans Silver nor Gold God is our Witness and you your selves
before they are sent Therefore all Friends I exhort you in the Light to dwell which comprehends all such Spirits and in the savour keep having Salt in your selves that you may be able to savour and try all Spirits for there are many false Spirits gone out into the World but in the Light they are all comprehended and by it judged and condemned and all dwelling in the Light the Unity will be kept and among you there will be no Division Strife nor Contention but in it is pure Union Strife and Contention is out of the Light and ye have not so learned Christ and take heed that none of you make an Image and set up a golden Calf of that which you brought out of Egypt and fall down and worship it and so bring the Wrath of God upon you I mean take heed of your Wisdom which is from below which are your Jewels while you are in Egypt but now coming out of Egypt that Language and that Wisdom is to be forgotten and left behind and by the Light of Christ it is to be condemned and stamped upon to powder The Whirle-Wind of the Lord's wrath scatters it and so you grow up into the pure Wisdom which is from above to depart from Iniquity which is Understanding and here you will come into the fear of the Lord which will keep you in awe out of the Evil and preserve you in your Innocency and keep you in Humility out of Presumption and so the eternal love of God shield you and defend you in the day of Tryal and in the hour of Temptation and preserve and keep you in his eternal Counsel to stand and abide now and evermore Amen This is to be sent from thee to Bristol to be read amongst Friends at their Meetings Sent from the Hand of your Brother John Camm Dear Friends I Can see but little freedom from my Disease I cannot say I am any better then I was when Robert Wastfield parted with me at Banbary and though I have longing Desires to see your Faces I know not whether the Lord will afford me that opportunity or no but in his Will I stand desiring that if it be his Will I may see your Faces again but in the Light dwell and grow up into the Life and then I see you am present with you and then we can never be seperated My dear love from my very Life with my Wife 's flows out to you all who love the Lord Jesus Christ and abide in his Light and grow up in his Life where our Union is kept and truly we cannot express our Love which flows out to the Seed of God amongst you the God of Power give it deliverance that it may rejoyce over the World in you all that God over all may be exalted and his Name glorified I desire to hear from you in the Lord. Your Loving Brother John Camm To all dear Friends who Love the Light in and about Bristol Dear Friends YOu whose minds are turned towards God by the pure Light of God to wait upon the Lord in his Fear Grace and Mercy and Peace from God be multiplied in you and amongst you that you may grow and abound in the pure Life of God growing up every one of you in the particular in your own Measure having your minds stayed upon the Lord to wait upon him in singleness of heart to be taught by him every one of you walking in the Light which leads up to him there you will see the Lord present with you but going out from the pure Light the Vale is drawn and the Enemy lodgeth upon the Vale Then ariseth Doubts Fears Questions and Troubles then you will look back to that which is behind and forget the Mark which is before But dwelling in the Light and in the pure Fear of the Lord your minds will be stayed patiently to wait as new born Babes to be refreshed with the Milk of the Word and there you will know the gentle leading of the Father and the green Pasture and the still Waters and the Dew from above upon the tender Plants and watering of the Plant that you may grow as Plants of God planted into the true Vine growing in the Vine sitting under the Vine and abiding in the Vine that you may be Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that God alone may be exalted in you Oh dear ones our Bowels flow out toyou and is poured out to the Lord for you we are bound unto you even with the bond of Love even the same Love as we are loved withal the same runs out freely to you and as we said to you the same we say again prize the day of your Visitation that you may know the things that belong to your eternal Peace and dwell in the Light and walk in the Light and meet together in the pure Fear of the Lord and dwell in the Love and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them and thou that reprovest must be clear or else thou judgest with that which must be judged so judge your selves first every one let self first be judged and condemned and that which judgeth and condemneth self that speak and act and reprove unfruitful works and then your fellowship will be in that which condemns self and then you will meet in the fear of the Lord and discern between the Righteous and the Wicked and know the voice of Christ and follow him and be subject to his Yoke and endure the Cross rejoyce in the Cross of Christ and minister in the Cross and have no unity with that which is out of the Cross who mind earthly things such are Enemies to the Cross such are in the Hypocrisie and in Presumption speaking high words but run before the Light and leads up into the end Therefore all dear Friends we exhort charge and command you to walk in the Light and in the Cross that you may have unity in the Life of God and that you may discern between the holy and prophane and receive not every Spirit nor believe not every Spirit In the Bowels of Love do we beseech you to walk worthy of your Calling holy is he that hath called you Holiness becomes his House for evermore let the Holy guide your mind and it will lead you into Holiness into Pureness into Meek ess into Love into Unity to watch over one another and to mind the good of one another and to be of one Heart of one Soul of one Mind all guided by one Spirit and walking in one Light all pressing on in one Way which leads to Life and so all will come to witness one Life and one Teacher and you will see the Word within and the Law within and the Fear of the Lord within which will keep your hearts clean there Wisdom will be made manifest in you and the secrets of the Lord revealed in you which secrets are revealed to Babes not
to the Wisdom of the World so dwell in Wisdom that you may know what speaks and to what you speak that you cast no Pearls before Swine but keep in the Unity and dwell in Patience waiting for the promises to be fulfilled in you When Trouble comes be content wait low in patience when Joy comes be low in the pure Fear and keep low and dwell in the pure Wisdom of God and the Lord God of Life Light and Power be with you and go along with you that you may grow up in him and have Dominion over all the World that you may all dwell within and mind the just to guide your minds continually We are with you written in your Hearts you may read us daily we even travel with you and pant after you that you may all wait to know Christ formed in you that you may rejoyce together for ever over the head of our Enemies Dear hearts in the eternal Love and Life of our God do we reach to you dwelling in the pure Life you will see and feel us present with you and we have Unity with you as many of you as are faithful in your Measure so every one in your Measure wait upon the Lord that you may know Redemption from the World and so be witnesses of the Son of God by the same witness as raised up him by which he bears witness against the World by the same Spirit you being raised will bear witness against the World so every one dwelling in that which judgeth the Earthly and works out the Earthly that you may know the Earth waste and the Earth grow feeble and the Gods of the Earth famished and the ground of Thoughts and Imaginations removed and the Covering taken off and the Vale rent and the Serpents head bruised and the Seed of the Woman brought forth which all the promises are unto yea and Amen in Christ which Seed is but one which Seed is Christ which Seed will not bow and worship the Devil for all the glory of the World that overcome and gets the Victory so all be watchful when Temptations come keep low and still in patience waiting upon the Lord that he may be feared and honoured who will provide a way to escape So dear and tender ones in the pure Light of God wait and there you will grow in Discerning and in Wisdom and in the pure Fear and there Love will be increased in you and among you and the Unity of the Spirit will be known so all walking in the Siprit you will not fulfil the lusts of the Flesh Dear hearts we write to you to stir up your pure minds by way of Remembrance little Children keep your selves from Idols the mighty God of Life keep and preserve you in the pure Life of God Farewel Your Friends in the Everlasting Unchangable bond of Love and Peace Brethren and Companions to all who are in Tribulation in the Kingdom of Patience of Jesus Christ John Audland John Camm Dear and Loving Friends IN that Unchangeable Eternal Everlasting Love of our Father we salute you even with the Love wherewith we are loved of our Father that Love flows out unto that of God in every one of you without respect of Persons for you are all near and dear unto us as you abide in that which doth convince you but turning from that by which your Hearts and Minds are knit together and brought into the Unity then your Unity is broken and the bond of Peace and Love is broken and that doth make a Rent and Breach amongst you for turning from the pure Eternal Light of God which leads up to the Door into the Sheepfold and so would lead you into the Kingdom of God where there is Rest Joy and Peace for evermore but your Minds turning from this you turn into the Carnal and into the Visible and so Self gets up and from that Nature proceeds Self-separation and here the haughty Nature gets up and Self-exaltation and then the just suffer and by that nature the pure is crucified and slain and then Carelesness and Sloathfulness and Self-love abounds which is to be judged and condemned by the Light and by the Life And from the Life of God do I declare against all that nature in every one that by the Light of God which you have all received a measure of you may come to see that nature in every one of your selves which disunites separates you from your head that by the Light that Nature may be discerned and so judged and condemned by the Light but every one come to know Judgment set up in your selves and Self in the particular judged that Judgment may be set up in the Earth that the Inhabitants thereof may learn Righteousness and so Judgment being puffed upon the Rebellious and the Uncircumcised in your particulars and you walking and dwelling in the Life according to your measure then may you boldly Reprove others who walk not according to their measures for the Beam being cast out of your own you will see perfectly to pull the Mote out of your Brother's Eye but it must be first out of your own or else you are Hypocrites And so I charge you all in the presence of the Lord every one to keep your own Habitations and to be faithful to your measure which you received of God you will come to grow and increase in the increase of God and abiding in the Vine you will become fruitful and you will become beautiful and comely sweet precious and lovely in the Eyes of him who hath loved you with exceeding great Love and with Loving-kindness hath he drawn you in measure out of the Filthy Polutions and Heathenish Ways and Worships of the World and hath opened your Eyes and let you see all things openly under the Sun and by the pure eternal Light which hath shined into you by it you will see the pure Path and holy Way which leads up to God the Father of Lights Oh dear Hearts prize the Eternal Love of God unto you and walk answerable to that love which is manifested in every one of you for it is great and rich Love oh the abundance of his Love and free Grace let not his Benefits slip out of your Minds Oh what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons and Children of the Most High therefore doth not the World know us Dear Hearts walk in the pure eternal Love and Light of God that so you may come to the pure Life of God to follow the Captain of your Salvation who was made perfect through Sufferings that you may endure the Cross despise the Shame and so come to partake of the Immortal Crown of Glory which never fades away Oh my dear Ones you are written in my Heart we cannot forget you yea truly we are often with you in the pure eternal Love Life our Love runs out unto you and our Life is with you and our rejoycing
work sake on the contrary where any was slack or negligent or taught themselves in an exalted mind it grieved his Spirit exceedingly I have known him often to lament and mourn under the exercise thereof Some time before he was taken out of the Body he had a clear sight or Vision upon his Bed I being at that time with him concerning two I shall not need to name them the Vision being fulfilled hath marked them out to all whose Eyes are open who were with him in the beginning called to the work and service of the Gospel and being in measure together with himself concerned therein yet grew slack in that work and begun to be exalted and gathered to and sought themselves and being that his Spirit was so grieved therewith and time hath given to see the clear fulfilling thereof I have had it weightily upon my Spirit for a long time as my Husband and some other Friends can bear me record to publish the same for the Glory of that eternal God that reveals his Secrets to those that fear him and by his holy Spirit gives to see things to come and also for the service of Truth and Friends and as a reproof upon the slack and exalted ones who seek themselves not the Glory of God nor the good or unity of his People upon whom its evidently fulfilled and in as much as the Lord hath made way for the foregoing Testimony relating to my dear Husband J. A. deceased in the discharge of my Conscience and to ease my Spirit of its Burthen I am engaged to insert the Substance thereof as followeth judging it both a proper place and season It was on this wise viz. He saw a very large Mine where there was very much precious Ore to be digged out but with great and hard Labour and the Lord and Master had called him with many more to Labour in this Mine in order to work and digg out this good and precious Ore and who was most dilligent in Labour was to be most liberally rewarded and the command was that they might work in every part of the Mine but must all gather to oneplace and to one heap the work prospered and became exceeding great to the glory of the Lord and their Joy comfort who were found diligent but in process of time he looked behind him upon others that were labouring and amongst them beheld two who had been antient Labourers to begin to slack and would but work where it was most easie in their own time and by their own appointment not regarding the command of their Lord and not only so but when they found a piece of Ore more rich and goodly then some other whether it was of their own digging or no they did gather it to another private heap of their own for themselves to their own benefit and not the Lords whereupon he cryed out in the grief and bitterness of his exercise to see such disobey the Lords command in gathering to their own heap Ah! Lord it was thy command that we should all work at thy appointment and gather to one heap and for a time it was so and thy Heap encreased and Work prospered but now there 's two that 's begun to gather to themselves to their own heap and not to thee And being in a great exercise of mind and Spirit he a woke and the power of the Lord was upon him and did make him Tremble very much and under the sence of what he had seen he did sigh and mourn greatly whereupon I asked him what was the occasion of so great exercise and he told me with much Sorrow what he had seen concerning those two Labourers that had been called to the work and gathering to the Lord with him and many others and whilest faithful were loved with a Brotherly love for their works sake and further told me that the thing would come to pass and be fulfilled in a few years as certainly it is as many can testifie yet notwithstanding Gods gathering goes forward and his heap daily encreases and the idle slack unfaithful and the self-gatherers shall be covered with Rags and shall have their Portion with the rebellious in a dry Land. Before his departure he would often be speaking of his being taken from me desiring me to be content therewith for the Lord would care for me and by his heavenly Providence order for the supply of my want of him as I kept my trust in the Lord And truly even so it hath come to pass blessed be the Lord who hath blessed me with the enjoyment of another faithful Husband according to my Hearts desire to my unspeakable comfort so that I might justly reflect upon my self for great ingratitude if I should not both humbly and thankfully acknowledge the care and blessing of my God to be exceeding large and great for which my Soul is under Obligation for ever to extol and magnifie his holy living and powerful Name And thus having in the fore-going Testimony cleared my Spirit as it lived with me in the sight of God I shall conclude with an humble Address to his heavenly Majesty in the behalf of all his gathered ones that they may be kept and preserved in all faithfulness and holy Obedience by the Arm of his everlasting power that having run their race and finished their course they may with their Brethren that are gone before be swallowed up in immortallity for evermore and that by the same eternal Arm that hitherto hath not only girded me with strength to undergo many Trials and deep exercises but also hath been abundantly stretched forth to double and redouble blessings both spiritual and temporal upon me I may be assisted to answer the unspeakable Mercies of my God in all Faithfulness and holy Obedience and having fought the good fight of faith and finished my course with joy in the fulness of Gods appointed time being made acceptable in the beloved Son I may enter into that eternal Kingdom of Glory that 's prepared for the faithful into which my late dear Husband with a Remnant of faithful Brethren are already entered to rest with the Lord in the heavenly enjoyment of them and together with them to Laud and Praise his honourable Name in the Highest World without end Amen Amen Camsgil the 4th day of the 2th Month 1681. Ann Camm A Testimony to the glorious Morning of the Day of unexpressible Visitation of the Love of God in particular to the City of Bristol and adjacent Parts and to the great and mighty Power of the Lord appearing in and with his two precious Servants Jobn Camm and John Audland who came to the City in the year 1654. AFter the long and tedious Night of Apostacy spread over Nations and dismal Darkness over People it pleased the Lord God of Heaven and Earth to visit this Northern Island and first the Northern part thereof with the Morning of his ever blessed day from whence came the aforesaid blessed
is shed amongst you so in the pure Light abide which is your Eye by which you will see the Lords Love to you and wait in it that you may know the washing and the cleansing by the Blood of Jesus which Purifies the Heart and Sprinkles the Conscience and so the Mistery of Faith you will know so this is the Word of the Lord to you to exhort you and charge you that you all wait upon him from whence strength comes that your strength may be renewed that you may grow dayly and increase in the Riches of the Love of God and that you meet often together and dwell in Love and in the Bond of Peace and joyn to nothing which is contrary to the Pure Life for thou that joyns to that which defiles the wo is upon thy Head from the Lord God and there is the Hypocrite and the Dissembler which hath the Form but not the Power whose mind joyned to the Harlot and wo is the end of that profession therefore all dwell in that which keeps pure in the Measure that all may be crucified and mortified which is upon the Earth and from the Earth and abide in that which mortifies daily and crosseth the Earthly part and works it out and this is the Word of God to you whose minds are turned to wait in that which turns the mind the same leads up into the endless Life so the Mighty Power of the Lord God be amongst you and keep you that all strong holds may be broken down and that the Word of Life ye may all dwell in which gives Life and cuts down all that which is against the Life so fare you well The Lord God of Power carry you along on your Journey to the Eternal Sabboth we are your Servants for the Truth sake and the Seed sake Salute us to all Friends our Love flows freely to you your growth is our joy and riches growing in the Life you will see the Crown of Life and raign over the World and there we are your dear Brethren in Joy and in Tribulation John Audland John Camm The Testimony of Mabel Benson concerning John Camm her late Husband deceased THis short Testimony I have to bear for and concerning John Camm my dear Husband deceased that he was a tender dear and loving Husband to me one that feared the Lord and was freely given up to spend and be spent in the Service of Truth as Hundreds can testifie his life and delight being therein to the end of his dayes a pattern of Holiness he was in his Life and Conversation to the Flock of God he was exceeding noble and faithful in the Testimony of Truth he never shrunk in the time of his greatest Tryals which were not a few the Lord being always with him to the astonishment of his Enemies after he had travelled several Years in the work of the Ministry though in great Bodily Weakness the Lord was pleased in his Mercy to bring him home to his outward being to finish his course in much Peace to my great satisfaction the which in Measure abated my sorrow in the loss of him as to his Bodily presence together with my being well satisfied that he is at rest with the Lord and made richly to partake of the joys of Heaven in everlasting Life therein to praise the King of everlasting Glory unto all eternity Amen Mabell Benson John Audland's Letters and Epistles To Friends soon after he was gone forth in the Ministry Dear Hearts IN the eternal Truth every one in your Measures mind your own condition and be Low Meek and Humble for such the Lord teacheth Mind the fear of the Lord always to dwell in it that his secrets may be opened for in the fear the secrets are made manifest and the Pure know the secrets but the Wisdom of God is hid from the vulterous eye but that eye which comes out of Death comprehends Death and the Grave and sees God which no Man can but the Son declares him for he sees him Now dear Hearts wait for the Son to be made manifest in you every one in particular keep your Eye single that your whole Body may be full of Light. My dear Hearts be bold in this day of the Lord and valiant for the Truth upon Earth you who are redeemed from the Earth up to God to serve him and are called let nothing stand between but keep open that Eye which comprehends all the Earth keep out the Earth lest that the Eye be vailed keep clean within that nothing grow up within but what is pure that so you may discern the impure and you who are kept pure be bold to reprove the Unfruitful works of darkness and have no Fellowship with them neither within nor without for if any thing be spared within it will spare without and to be Rebellious is as the Sin of Witchcraft Oh my dear Hearts my care is that you grow in the Truth and that you may keep single every one in your Measure take heed of coldness and dulness in any but dwell in Authority and speak in Authory that deceit may be confounded and banished from among you that so the Pure may be cherished in the Truth none be Careless but be Watchful and Watch one over another in Love that you may be established in Righteousness that the Land may rejoyce and the Peaceable flourish and all the Unrighteous be cut down by the Righteous And Friends dwell in the Power of Truth and mind the Presence of the Lord with you always which keeps bold and causeth you to tread upon all the Worlds Ways Words Worships Priests and Deceits that so you may be fed upon the Mountains in a large Pasture Dear Friends mind your daily feeding in that which is eternal and feed not the Carnal nor labour not for the Bread which perisheth but for that which endureth for ever And all Friends take heed of looking back for if any draweth back my Soul hath no pleasure in him But all dear Friends press forward in the strait way my Hearts desire and prayer to the Lord is that you may grow and increase in the Increase of God and that you may all be Faithful for there is your Crown Oh be Faithful to the end that you may inherit all things and be partakers of that which never shall have end and keep in the Cross daily which will Crucifie daily and Mortifie daily your Affections which be upon Earth for the day of the Lord is approaching the good and happy day glad-Tydings to the Prisoner but a day of Terror to the Wicked and to all that live in filthiness who profess much Love to God with their Mouthes but the Heart going after Covetousness And a word to all you who are in that condition who draw near God with your Mouthes but your Hearts far from him to you who are convinced of the Truth of God and denies the Priests in words and come to Meet amongst the Saints
and sits like them but do not forsake your Sins nor own the Cross of Christ so as to live in it and so you give occasion to the World to speak evil of the Gospel of Christ now to such I say from the Lord Depart ye Workers of Iniquity terrible and dreadful is the day that shall come upon you wo unto them that cover with a Covering but not of the Spirit of the Lord Fear the Lord and tremble before him and prize your time while it is called to day for the Lord is near and if he find you eating and drinking with the Drunken he will cut you assunder and give you your Portion with Hypocrites But all my dear Friends dwell in the Power of the Lord and let not your minds be stained but keep single and stand uncovered that so you may discern all those that are covered and reign above them in the eternal living Truth of God to his praise for evermore Praises and Honour to our God for ever who is worthy for all is falling before him My dear Friends the Harvest here is great even all the Fields are white and all the dumb Dogs and idle Shepherds Drones and Loiterers runs quakes trembles and flyes before us but the Sword of the Lord is in the hands of the Saints and this Sword divides hews and cuts down Deceit and so way is made for the pure Seed to arise and raign above all which conquers all Praises be to the Lord for evermore Dear Friends the Work of the Lord is great and many are Convinced of the living Truth and I really see the Lord will raise up to himself a pure and a large People to Serve and Worship him in Spirit and in Truth Farewell My dear Brother and fellow Labourer Edward Burrough Salutes you all in the Lord and the everlasting God of Power keep you all pure to his everlasting Praise All ye Saints of the Lord Praise ye the Lord and Magnifie him for ever Your dear Brother in the Truth John Audland John Audland his Epistle to Friends from Chester City the 5th of the 5th Month. DEar Friends and Brethren in the Eternal Truth of God Members of the same Body partakers of the unsearchable Riches of the love of God which love endures for evermore Oh! my dear hearts press on in the strait way forgetting those things that are behind Every one of you in perticular mind to dwell in the pure fear of the Lord which will keep you pure and single to stand in his counsel that so you may reign above the Earth and rejoyce over the heads of all your Enemies walking in the Light of the Lord And dwell in the Light and with it you will see and know all the wiles of Satan who would lay snares Innocent and in the power of the Lord stand that you in his power may have Victory My dear Friends what I declared to you when I was present with you the same do I now write to you and in the Spirit I am present with you and therefore in the Name of the Lord and in his fear put on boldness put on courage put on strength every one in your measure stand and be faithful in the Work of the Lord as his Witnesses against all the World for unto this are you called to cast off every weight and burthen and to run with patience the race before you the way is strait and narrow no unclean thing must enter nothing that defiles must enter unto this are you all called to put off the old Man with his Deeds to die daily to forsake the World to deny all to lay down your lives and to take up the Cross of Christ daily and have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness God is pure he calls to purity Oh! my dear Hearts as you abide faithful you are my joy in the Lord my Prayers are for you God is my Witness I make mention of you daily to the Lord my dear and tender Plants of God as you grow and increase in the Increase of God my joy will increase Oh! stand stedfast as faithful Servants every one upon your watch that you may pertake daily of the Joy of the Lord and walk worthy of the Love which the Lord hath manifested unto you watch over one another in Love in Bowels in tenderness in compassion to that which is pure and rule over all deceit tread upon it and reign over it dwell in discerning every one and suffer not that to speak which is not of God but all wait in Love and walk in Love and the Body edifies it self in Love and the God of Peace and Love keep you pure to his eternal Praise to all the honest in heart I speak walking in the pure Light of the Lord that you may have Dominion over all the Earth and earthly minds And so such I say who are convinced by the Light of God but doth not walk in the Light How will you escape The Lord is dreadful his Terrour will surprize all Hypocrites the witness of the Lord is against all such and his Judgments will take hold upon you his hand you cannot escape I say to such as I have often told you yea I have told you Weeping such are Enemies to the Cross of Christ and by him are you to be Slain who refuse him and will not have him to Reign over you and therefore by the Dreadfulness of the Lord I charge you to walk in Obedience to that which is committed to you that every one of you may deny those things which the Light in the Conscience bears witness against And I charge you give no evil Example in your Walkings nor in your Meetings in your Meetings be watchful bear Reproof patiently examine your selves let the Light search you and you will see Reproof is to you who doth not walk in the Light and in your walkings be watchful have no fellowship with the world for that which is of the world and you that have fellowship with the world cannot bear witness against the world And therefore come out be seperate touch no unclean thing and fear the living God who searcheth all Hearts and his reward is with him to give to every one according to his deeds But to all you that are faithful the Joy of the Lord is your strength the Arm of the Lord is with you the Sickle is in your Hand thrust in the Sickle for the Earth is ripe the Press is full the Fat 's overflow the Glory of the Lord is appearing to shake terribly the Earth Glory to him for evermore Farewel All my dear Hearts my Bowels run out freely to you I am with you daily in that which will never Wither The Lord God of Power keep you pure every one in your Measure to his eternal Praise my Love is to you all and remember me dearly to all Friends every where Your dear Brother a servant of the Lord and in him can we never be
from the vile all the wicked cast out and the elected alone obtains the Kingdom So the mighty God of Power direct thee and open thy understanding that in his Light thou mayst come to see Light and by the powerful Word may be stripped of all and suffer the loss of all that God alone may be exalted By one who hath suffered the loss of all and through Death is passed unto Life J. A. A Letter sent unto John Audland by his Wife 1654. DEar Brother dearer to me then ever My love flows out to thee even the same love that I am loved withal of my Father in that love Salute me to all my Friends for dear you are all unto me my life is much refreshed in hearing from you I received thy Letters and all my Soul desireth is to hear from thee in the life dear Heart in Life dwell there I am with thee out of all time out of all Words in the pure Power of the Lord there is my joy and strength O! How am I refreshed to hear from thee to hear of thy faithfulness and boldness in the Work of the Lord O! Dear Heart I cannot utter the joy I have concerning thee thy presence I have continually in Spirit therewith am I filled with joy all glory and honour be to our God forever O! blessed be the Day in which thou waft born that thou art found worthy to labour in the work of the Lord surely the Lord hath found thee faithful in a little therefore he hath committed much unto thee go on in the Name and Power of the Lord Jesus Christ from whence all strength cometh to whom be all glory and honour forever O! dear Heart go on conquering and to conquer knowing this that thy Crown is sure So dear Heart now is the time of the Lords Work and few are willing to go forth into it all the whole World lieth in wickedness doing their own work but blessed be the Lord forever who hath called us from doing our own work into his great work O! Marvellous are his Works and his Wayes past finding out O! Dear Heart thou knowest my Heart thou mayst read dayly how that I rejoyce in nothing more than in thy prosperity in the Work of the Lord Oh! It is past my utterance to express the joy I have for thee I am full I am full of love towards thee never such love as this the Mighty Power of the Lord go along with thee and keep thee faithful and valient and bold in his pure Counsel to stand single out of all the World. Oh! Dear Heart all my love to thee is purer then Gold seven times purified in the Fire Oh! pure is he that hath loved us therefore let Purity and Holiness cover us for ever a joyful word it was to me to hear that thou wast moved to go for Bristol Oh! my own Heart my own life in that which now stands act and obey that thou mayst stand upon thy alone Guard so dear Heart let thy Prayers be for me that I may be kept pure out of all Temptations singly to dwell in the Life So fare well Ann Andland John Audlands Letter from Citsester to Friends at Bristol the 26th of the 10th Month 1654. Dear Friends LAmbs and Babes of the most high God who are turned from the ways and vanities of the World and who are brought to wait upon the Lord in patience and singleness being begotten to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of the Dead Grace Mercy and Peace from God be multiplied in you and among you that you may grow up in the eternal Unity and fellowship of the Spirit to walk in the Spirit and to worship God in Spirit and by it you will see and discern all the wayes and vanities of the World and all the worships of the World to be without God in the heathenish nature strangers from the life of God without the Covenant of peace and in the Covenant with Death and Hell unto which there is no peace But the Lord God of life and peace is arising and risen to hew down all deceit and false ways and to set up Righteousness and Purity and to establish his Covenant unto his People and to bring in everlasting peace by Jesus Christ who is come to Preach Peace to the Captives to open the Prison Doors to set free the oppressed and to visit the desolate and to inlarge the Borders of the Barren and his day is dawning among you and the day-Star is appearing in you which will lead to the man-Child and to the Son of righteousness which is eternal Life to know him and be in him and who are not in him death reigns and rules and the Bond of Iniquity and the Chains of Darkness stands and Binds and Prisons the Just which is for condemnation when he appears who will judge the Secrets of all mens Hearts And this is the day of the Lord God wherein he is bringing back the Captivity of his People And you whose minds are turned to him wait upon him in patience having your minds guided up unto him growing together in Love and Unity that the Head and Husband may be exalted in all and then the Bed is not defiled but the Marriage is honourable but the Adulterer God will judge and condemn and such who wander abroad changeth their way and sets up Idols and strange Gods and other Lovers and joyns to strange Flesh and feeds that which is for Judgment and to be fed with Judgment But dear and precious Ones and well-beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ dwell in Judgment the Just delights in it and the unjust comes to be cut down by it and through judgment Sion come to be redeemed and the filthy is destroyed and Purity and Holiness comes to be witnessed the Light is that which condemns the unjust and all waiting in the Light ye have fellowship one with another and your Unity stands in that which is the Worlds condemnation and so against all the World ye stand and bear witness by that which is not of the World but is from above and leads up into that which is above and condemns all that which is below and from below which is contrary to the Light of Jesus Christ which Light shews the Door and guides into the entrance of the eternal Inheritance and shews you the Inheritance which is incorruptible which nothing must inherit that is corruptible so in the Light abide which leads up to the perfect Day that you may all walk as Children of the Day growing up in the true Vine and abiding in the Vine that your Fruit may appear not as the untimely Figs which fall away but as that which is founded upon the true Foundation and will stand and abide in the Day of Tryal so dear and tender Ones grow in Love and let Love be multiplyed among you and wait upon the Lord in the daily Cross that you may be crucified to the World and the
their badness for the Scriptures speaks that out of the North an evil shall break forth Reply To prove that we came out of the North and had never been out of the Nation of our birth and Habitations doth sufficiently confute thee who made that thy ground to have proved by the Information that we were Coppingers acquaintance in Rome for sayst thou those two persons which came to Bristol was most likely his two fellow Franciscan Fryers and here thy likeness is another Lye and the Scripture doth not prove thy shrew'd sign neither doth it cover thee nor hide thee but upon thee will evil break forth who the evil hast committed a grievous Storm and Whirl-Wind will fall upon the wicked and sweep away the refuge of Lyes and Lyers into the Lake read thy Portion and put it not from thee Secondly Thou sayst for affirming that the Quakers use inchanted Potions Bracelets Ribbands Sorcery and Witchcraft to intoxicate their Disciples and thou savst this is evidenced in the Premises and apparent in most places where they ramble and thou shalt prove it no farther but close up all with two Scripture exhortations Reply I demanded of thee before to prove any such thing by us or let thy Mouth be stopt and as touching proving any such thing thy Mouth is stopt and thy Premises proves it not by us but is made up of Lyes and Slanders and false Reports which thou hast gathered where thou hast rambled up and down in thy Imaginations sending out a pack of filthy Lyes spawned out from the old Serpent the Devil and Satan out of whose Mouth proceeds the Frogs and there mayst thou read thy self apparently his Disciple intoxicated and thee with all the rest of the spawn of Romish Frogs Jesuites and Franciscan Fryers is denyed and cast out from amongst the People of God scornfully call'd Quakers and if thou canst prove no better then to close up as thou dost the Lyes will rest upon thy own head but wilt thou turn back a little and take one Exhortation where thou art giving two if there be any spark of honesty in thee or any remembrance of thy latter end or any consideration that Lyars must be cast into the Lake repent of the evil of thy doings and cease lying and slandering the Innocent which thou canst not prove to be Offenders and lay thy Mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope so here in plainness thy Lyes is turned upon thy own Head and the former answer is just and stands a witness against thee and thou art more unmasked and clearly detected and till thou canst begin upon better evidence silence best becomes thee Remember again thou art warned cease thy gain-saying lest thou perish in thy rebellion and go down alive into the Pit. By one who is a Witness against the prophaneness of Priests and People called John Audland Luke 11 52. Wo unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge ye entred not in your selves and them that were entring in ye hindred John Audland's Epistle to all who love the Truth Given forth from Oxfordshire the 12th Month 1656. DEarly beloved Friends unto whom the large Love of God hath been made manifest in visiting you from on high with his marvelous Light which hath clearly shined in the midst of you by which you have seen your way to the eternal Rest and Peace and have tasted of the Power of the Lord and been often refreshed with his Love and Life being shed plentiously amongst you so that you have found in some measure Redemption from the bondage of Corruption and the way is plain before you which leads to perfect Freedom in the pure and precious Truth of the living God which as you stand in it and walk in the undefiled way in the pure Fear and Counsel of God you will be kept in the pure Unity in the Love unfeigned to grow together in the Life of Truth in the Power of God in which is your beauty your comliness your strength your order and your peace every one in particular and one with another all glorifying the Lord in your uprightness and obedience in your holy calling in the measure of the Grace of Life in which every one abiding you receive power from the Life which gives Dominion over the World and the powers of Darkness and the wickedness in the high places you dwelling in the Life and Power of God are kept in subjection to the higher Power which is the Ordinance of God which throws down the man of Sin the deceitful works and raiseth up the dead to Life quickning the slain and opening the Prison Doors which brings Joy and Peace and the Oyl of Gladness and the Garments of Praise and the acceptable Year where the meek come to be beautified with Salvation there the Treasures of Life is seen of Wisdom and of Love which reached to the Poor to raise him up and there the weary finds rest and the hungry Soul comes to be satisfied with the unsearchable Riches of the Lords Love of which there is no End unto them who wait upon him in faithfulness Dear Hearts other Foundation can no man lay then that which is laid already which is Christ Jesus the Light of the World the Way to Life and everlasting Rest and those that believe enter into the pure and peaceable Kingdom which is prepared for the little Flock who follow the Voice of the true Shepherd who leads into the fresh and pleasant Pasture where the Lambs feed in peace and lie down in safety in the sure Habitation grounded on the Foundation of God which stands firm and unmoveable forever against which the Winds nor the Storms nor the Floods can never prevail blessed for ever are all you who are on it builded and established for the day will manifest every ones work and he that is not rooted in the Life and stands not in the Power of God will suffer loss but you abiding in the Power of God which is the Cross of Christ you receive a Kingdom which cannot be shaken and a Crown which doth not corrupt and an Inheritance which fades not away and in the Light of God every one walking you read your part in the Resurrection unto Life which is a blessed Condition and to seed upon the Life which makes you grow in the heavenly Image the new man which is after God in Righteousness and true Holiness which is perfected in the Fear of the Lord All being kept watchful and diligent your Garments are kept clean and you are found covered with the Spirit in the day of the Lord which comes suddenly upon the Sloathful and Careless in which day the Hypocrite can never stand nor the foolish Virgin cannot enter but is shut out of Gods Kingdom wanting the Garment which gives an entrance in the Marriage-Chamber where the faithful rejoyce and praises the God of their Salvation And verily Friends it is the Gold tryed in the Fire
for their way of Worship it being ancient and they which differed from them their way was but new in appearnce I say the Jews might plead for their Way far more groundedly than many now especially people who neither Live in their Way of Worship according to the Jews under the Law no not yet according to the Saints in the Primitive times And those that profess themselves Christians and yet persecute the Innocent they are far more guilty than the Jews were inasmuch as they both profess more Light and also walk so quite contrary to their own Profession yea and to the example of Christ whom they profess and the true Christians who said Love your Enemies pray for them that persecute you not persecute them that pray for you Neither had the Saints such Weapons to bring people into their Church as is now used but spiritual Ones mighty through God and went forth in his Power this brought People to be of one Heart and one way and to serve the Lord with one mind which force with carnal Weapons will never accomplish to bring people to be of one way Obj. And as it s said But some will yeild and then we will rejoyce in that Ans 'T is answered That 's a bad Work to force People and compel them to deny that which God hath made manifest to them to be Truth and the greater is their Sin that so do 'T is said that Saul compelled some to blaspheme against the Name of Jesus when he raged so against them but he afterwards confessed it as a great Sin And though some did so or do so yet that is no confirmation to the Persecutors that they are in the Way of God no nor yet a true Testimony against the persecuted that they are not in the Way of God neither doth it truly convert men at all Indeed force and compulsion may make some men conform to that outwardly which otherwise they would not do but that is nothing of weight their Hearts are never the better but are rather worse and more Hypocrites than before for force doth but make Hypocrites at the most for it is God alone by his Powerful Word of Life operating in the Hearts of People that changeth them and reneweth them in the Spirit of their minds and brings them into the true Service and Worship even to draw near him with their Hearts and to Worship him in Spirit and Truth and it 's out of man's power and that which God doth not require of men at this day to force by penalties and carnal Weapons to this or that Worship and is absolutely against the Practice of the Saints and the Spirit of Jesus as also against Christ's Royal Law which is Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them Now let every man make it his own case He saith his way is the way of God and anothers is not Well then would he be forced to leave his own way and to go to the other which he is not satisfied of to be occording to the mind of God especially when nothing is offered to convince his Conscience or perswade his mind and understanding but Force and Compulsion Surely no man would be so dealt with in his own case Obj. But if it be said We have Power and a Law and we are wise and learned men and we would not be forceed from our Religion but we would force people to ours Ans This hath no weight in it at all for you ought to put your selves in the same capacities as them you deal with are and to consider your selves in their condition they are as strongly it may be more perswaded in their Consciences by the Spirit of God that their Way is right than you are of yours Well then weighing these things would you be forced Would you have others to deal so with you if you were in their condition and they in yours Let God's Witness answer in all Consciences and see if these ways of forcing in matters of Conscience to God wards be not quite contrary to the practice of the Saints and to the Royal Law of Christ Obj. Besides though it be said But we judge we are in the right and our way is the true way Ans It 's answered You may be mistaken many hath that have had thoughts their way was right and while you have not the infallible Witness of God's Spirit with you to testifie to your way peradventure you may err as the former Forcers have done and then you cause people to Sin if you could force them to Blaspheme and to deny as Saul did for if he that turneth a Sinner from the error of his way who hath erred from the Truth doth save a Soul and hide a multitude of Sins then they that force people from the Way of God and cause them to err doth bring Souls into death and so bring Innocent Blood upon themselves yea the Blood of Souls which will be a great weight in the Day of God's account Obj. But if it be further said How then How must we do there is so many ways that People might be brought to one way to serve God Ans Do what God requireth of you and no more and then we shall never suffer by you nor under you Do justly love mercy and walk humbly with your God this is better than the fâ—t of Rams 't is better than all the outward Sounds and Ceremonies and bodily exercise while the heart is far from the Lord And if you judge you are in the right and your way is right come forth then with spiritual Weapons mighty ones in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and let us see you shine forth in his Image let this be your covering your white Robes even the Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of the Saints and let us see your meekness patience gentleness and good example your readiness by word and deed to convince Gain-sayers in the Power and Gospel of Christ your love to Enemies your selfdenial your subjection to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Oh this would reach our hearts then God's Witness would answer to you and this would answer the good part in all and this is the way to bring people to be of one mind in the Truth this is God's way this is the way the Saints walked in this is the way we love and desire and this also would be of good report amongst all good people but the contrary force and compulsion with a hasty froward proud envious Spirit with Staff and Club and carnal Weapons and Stocks and Prisoning of People against whom there is no occasion but concerning the Law of their God and matters which are really of Conscience to God-wards We say this will never be justified by the Lord nor effect the end neither nor be of good report amongst sober People nor answer the good part in people And moreover the Lord God of Life will turn
his hand and power against them that so turn their hand and power against his people for obeying him and exercising their Consciences towards him in waiting upon him and worshipping him according to that which he hath made manifest to them and such will be more inexcusable for persecuting now than the Jews were in former dayes for then the Saints met together and professed the Name of Jesus which the Jews did not say they believed in Besides it was in appearance such a new way and so different to the Law and manner of Worship which the Jews had that they had some seeming colour in their way but now for they that profess the Name of Christ and the Sicrptures of the New-Testament and the Saints Practice and Christ's Commands to be obeyed for these all things considered to persecute people for owning the Commands of Christ for practising the same things which they cannot but read the Saints practised and to hale people and commit them to Prison for meeting in the Name of Jesus to Worship God and to wait upon him yea and to be so far from cherishing such as to act the very parts of them that made havock of the Church and haled out both Men and Women and was exceedingly mad and caused some to Blaspheme and committed to Prison for the same things it doth appear to be great evil and to be even Sin against knowledge against their own Prefession as Christans and cannot be parallel'd with any of the Saints but with the Persecutors who hated and evilly entreated the Servants of the Lord in former Ages who never could accomplish their end though they caused many to suffer and now to put all out of doubt and to give all who opposeth the People of God in the way of God an absolute answer that they shall not be able to accomplish their end and therefore it would be far better to be quiet and to mind the Royal Law of Christ lest they by acting contrary do bring innocent suffering and Blood upon their own Heads and incur God's heavy Yoke of displeasure against them yea and a Fire be kinded in their own Bowels and a Worm which shall not dye and a dart strike through the Heart and Liver and so the end be as bitter as Worm-wood and as sharp as a two edged Sword these are Instruments of War which the Lord hath in his Quiver which is reserved for the Day of Battel when God pleads with all Flesh by Fire and by his Sword when the slain of the Lord shall be many when he will rain Snares upon the wicked Fire and Brimstone and grievous Tempests this is the Potion of their Cup But indeed we do desire the Conversion and Salvation even of our Persecutors and therefore to put all out of doubt as is before said that there is no prevailing against the Lord nor against the Sion of the Holy One in whom the Lord is We say the living God of Heaven and Earth hath made manifest unto us the Way to Life and called us to walk in it and united our Hearts together as many as live in his Power to serve him and to wait upon him and to meet together to Worship him in Spirit and Truth and we are perswaded to obey the Lord and believe in the Lord that he will strengthen us in his Way and Will unto the end For our strength is in the Lord and not of our selves who hath called us to follow him through good report and bad report and not to deny his Way because of sufferings but to endure in patience and let the Lord plead our cause in the Hearts of his Enemies Obj. And if any say Why will you not swear And why will you meet seeing there is a Law against you Ans For these two things we say We dare not disobey the Lord for fear of punishment or suffering outwardly and we meet together in the Name and Fear of the Lord Because the Lord God of Life requireth it of us that we should meet in his Name and Power and wait upon him and edifie one another in his Love and Life and in our Meetings waiting upon the Lord we have the presence of the living God of Life with us and the feeling of the vertue of his Love in our Hearts and he lifts up his Countenance upon us yea and comforteth us by his free Spirit whereby we know and are assured that it is according to the mind and will of the Lord and that he speaks Peace unto us And this being the real Truth let all the honest-hearted judge how we can in Conscience leave that which God requireth of us in obedience to which we have God's presence with us and do that which Man requireth of us contrary to the Truth in observing of which we should fall into Condemnation and feel God's anger and the Testimony of his Spirit against us to judge us which would be greater sufferings in the inward Man then all the outward sufferings which we may meet with for in these being faithful the Lord comforteth our Hearts 2. Again We meet together to wait upon the Lord because we fear the Lord God he hath placed his Fear in our Hearts and we know him to be great and mighty a great King above all Kings and a great God above all God s that is able to do whatsoever he will in Heaven and in Earth and in the Kingdoms of men and we know he is worthy to be Worshipped and to have the Heart given up unto him for he hath Power to change the Heart which Men by all their force cannot do and to give true and lasting Peace which the World can never take away and his Fear being in our Hearts we account him Lord and Ruler in our Consciences and worthy to be obeved in Heart Soul and Spirit And because we fear him more than Man we are bound in Duty to obey him for he hath power over both Soul and Body which Man hath not for Man can but kill the Body he hath not power to kill the Soul neither hath he power to redeem the Soul neither can Man convert the Soul by any force or penalty outwardly therefore Man doth but labour in vain for he can neither kill nor cure the Soul but the Lord whom we fear hath Power and is able to kill and to make alive And because we fear him more than Man therefore we chuse to obey him rather than Man and to meet in God's Fear And this being our Condition let the sober-hearted judge How can we deny the Lord who hath all Power and hath quickned us and redeemed our Souls from Death and go to obey Man contrary to Christ's Doctrine who hath no power over the Soul. Surely as we stand in God's Fear and Counsel we may not do this Evil and Sin against our God. 3. Again we meet together to wait upon the Lord because God hath made it manifest to us and perswaded
us that the Way in which we walk is according to his Mind and Will and we look not for direction in our Religion by Mans wisdom or will how we shall serve and worship God for we know its God alone by his Spirit that leads people in the Exercise of the true Religion as it is written I the Lord teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee in the way in which thou shouldest go and lo we are content with our Religion which the Lord hath led us into and in the exercise of it we have Gods Blessing filling our Hearts with Love and Joy Peace and Satisfaction in which our Souls are comforted and we look not for another Religion contrary to that which we are in but our hearts are fixed waiting upon the Lord and we received it from the Lord and not upon any such terms as to continue in it till Man made a Law against it or speak against it and no longer but even as the Way of Truth was made manifest to us so to press on in it unto the end And we see the Ways and Religions of Men to be so changable sometimes one way and sometimes another that it appears to us as if Men received their Religion but till Orders of another sort of Men to the contrary And we see many people so ready to part with their Religion and take up another that gives us just ground to believe they found not the Presence of God with them in their Way and Exercise And so it s but loose with them and they can leave it upon occasion rather than suffer the loss of any thing for it and this makes us prize that which God hath made manifest to us the more because we receive Refreshment from the Lord in the Exercise of our Religion besides if we had been void of the true Religion till this day we should have been as unstable as others tossed about with winds of Doctrine and have known no true Rest to our Souls but it is well known that we were of the same mind that we are now in the time of the former powers and we received not our Religion from them neither but from the Lord our God neither was our Religion or we in the Exercise of it confirmed by any Law or Decree of theirs but on the contrary did suffer much hardship under them and by them whom they cherished at that time in the Religion which they allowed and they then said Theirs was the right Way and they Stockt and Prisoned many who were contrary to them And now others say they are in Way and useth force and such like to them that differ from them One said the Law is on our side and we are in the right the others say The Law is on our side and we are in the right and you must conform or suffer deeply We say None of these things can perswade our Consciences but come forth in the Power of the Lord as good Examples with spiritual Weapons if you will perswade us for we cannot with a safe Conscience leave our Religion which the Lord hath led us into by his own Power upon these things but must rather give up to suffer in the Will of the Lord for we know plainly it is God alone by his Power that doth bring people into the true Worship And this is according to the Scriptures of Truth and also to the Service which is now allowed for 't is said in the Collect for that which is called the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity Almighty and most merciful God of whose only Gift it cometh that thy faithful ful People do unto thee true and laudable Service Now then if it come only by the Gift of God that the faithful do true Service unto God then they that would force people from serving God according to his Gift given them would force them from the true and laudable Service of God and do make them act contrary to the Gift of God and unavoidably lead and force people from the true Worship of God into hypocrisie and a false feigned lifeless and heartless Worship in which the Lord takes no pleasure And so this being truly considered we can put it to the Consciences of all that fear the Lord to judge whether he can with a safe Conscience leave our Religion which God hath led us into and and the exercise of it according to the Gift of God by which only true Service is done to God in which also we find acceptance with God through Jesus Christ and go to a Religion in the will of Man contrary to the Gift of God by Force and Compulsion where we could not act affectionately with our Hearts nor yet find the Blessing and Presence of God with us acting contrary to the Gift of God Truly it is in our Hearts and Consciences as the Truth of the Lord that we may not falsly do it But if any should object and say Your Religion is but new or of a late standing Ours is a Hundred Years old or thereabouts since Popery was brought from having the upper-hand in this Nation for they forced but they were out of the way but ours is a Reformed Church 'T is answered That though the Name or Denomination by which we are distinguished from other people be but of late Years which was cast upon us by some that mocked us because of the Power of the Lord which caused many to quake and tremble yet the Life in which we live and the Truth which we profess is ancient and the Practice in which we are exercised in the Worship of God is according to the Truth and Practice of the Saints of old And so it might be said of the Saints and of Paul when he was converted and turned from the Jews Worship that it was a new Religion but it was the mighty Power of God that changed them though many in that day opposed them And so we say Force now with Prisons and carnal Weapons is of the same nature as it was formerly in the Papists and others for they said they had a Law and they were the true Church and they forced about Religion and killed many and now here is but the same Argument The Law saith so and so Therefore we see the same Nature forcing now as formerly as it 's said He that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now And for being of a Hundred Years standing this adds no strength to it at all for the Jews Religion was far more ancient and yet being in the Persecuting nature and resisting the Holy One and the Just though they professed God with their Mouth yet that would not cover them nor will it cover people now to profess God with their Mouth while they are found in the Nature Steps and Practice of them who Persecuted the Saints and Servants of God in Ages past And for that which is said That we are but of late
Years We say Men are not true Christians by Generation neither by an outward Profession but by an inward Change in the Heart wrought by the Power of God in the Regeneration And so if it be but a few Years in comparison since we or any of us were changed and turned to the Lord yet it was in the time when the Lord was pleased and saw good to visit us and we can truly say it was an acceptable day and time when we were turned from Darkness to the true Light and from the power of Satan to God And we are glad of it and can say Blessed be the Lord for it if it had been but yesterday that any of us were renewed in the Spirit of our minds to God for it is matter of Joy to us that the Lord hath gathered us in our day and time from off the barren Mountains into his Fold to wait upon him and to receive teaching and satisfaction from him This is far more to us to know the Lord changing us in our day and bringing us to know the things that pertain to our everlasting Peace than to have a large Profession of the Saints Words and yet to be out of the Saints Life and out of the way where true Peace and Rest is found to the Soul and so the Lord having manifested his Truth to us and brought us into the Religion in which he manifests his Presence to us we are content to wait in the Will of the Lord and may not forsake our Religion nor the Assembling of our selves together because Man saith to the contrary but walk according to the Gift of God by which only it is that true and faithful Service is performed unto him 4. Again we meet together to wait upon the Lord that our Consciences may be kept clear towards him that we may have the answer of a good Conscience towards God which if we should walk contrary to that which the Lord hath made manifest here would be shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience for so it was formerly if any forsook the Lord and his Truth after they had tasted of his good Word if they fell away from that which they had once known and professed of the Truth and Gospel of Jesus they made shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and then they could not have the answer of a good Conscience neither had they Peace with God and what remained if they continued so but a certain fearful looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation which will devour And therefore we knowing the preciousness of the answer of a good Conscience towards God do prize it and esteem it as a Jewel of great worth and we may not forsake the Way of the Lord wherein we have the answer of a good Conscience because of outward Force and go into that in which we should suffer Anguish and have a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and a sting in our own Consciences therefore we can put it to all who fear the Lord to judge of if it be not safe for us to abide in the Way of the Lord and to be faithful to him though we may meet with Sufferings in this World. 5. Again we meet together in the Fear of the Lord and own the doctrine of Christ to live in it because we are perswaded in the Fear and Power of the Lord God of Life who is our strength that nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus our Lord the Love of God is so Comfortable and his Favours is so refreshing to us and the Testimony of his Spirit is so satisfactory in our Hearts that we are perswaded nothing will be able to separate us our Strength is in the Lord and he is all-sufficient to keep us through all by his mighty Power unto the end waiting upon him and abiding in his Power he is able to save to the uttermost and this were the Saints formerly perswaded off that nothing should be able to separate them from the Love of God and they met with many hardships and were oftentimse cruelly intreated and shamefully handled as the Scriptures declare yet through all the Lord was with his people and comforted their hearts in their following of him and the Love of God abounded to them and in them and they were Conquerors through him that loved them Now if any at that time denyed the Truth for fear of man or any other thing they came to suffer in their hearts and to feel sorrow in their inward man for when iniquity enters into the heart it darkens the understanding and also the creature loseth the sence of the Love of God and if there be not Repentance and a returning unto the Lord Iniquity grows more strong and love grows cold in such and the heart grows worse and worse and is hardned by degrees against the Lord and his people and then there is a separation from the Love of God and the feeling and earnest of sorrow and tribulation upon every one that doth evil therefore we are perswaded that it is safe for us to wait upon the Lord in the way which he hath made manifest unto us that so we may receive the Power to renew our strength that we may walk on in the Path of Life and nothing separate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus Shall tribulation or affliction or Principalities or Powers separate us from the Love of God Shall force by carnal weapons or Prisons cause us to deny that which God hath made manifest unto us Is there Powers against us Thrones against us well this is safe for us to abide in the counsel of God that we may always feel his Love in our hearts and if we suffer let us suffer here because of our faithfulness to the Lord If we must go to Prison let us stand in the Power of God that his Love and Life blessing and heavenly Presence may be with us Better to suffer outwardly in Prisons and Holes and have the Love and presence of the Lord with us then to disobey the Lord and walk contrary to his gift and so suffer inward anguish and sorrow of heart and some thing separate us from the Love of God and then who can speak peace to us if the Lord speak trouble but if the Lord speak peace it 's no matter though man may speak trouble though the wrath of man may rise high yet he that doth whatsoever he will in Heaven and in Earth he can make it to turn to his Praise and the rest of it he will restrain and blessed are they that have the Lord with them on their side he speaks peace to them in the midst of all his love refresheth our Hearts and so to put all out of doubt we are perswaded in the Power of the Lord that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love which we have in our Saviour and here it
is good to abide and not to give one Foot back to give any ground unto the Enemy but to continue where the Love of God is with us and his blessed Presence with us comforting our Hearts which people do not find with them in disobedience walking and acting contrary to what the Lord hath made manifest to them and so we can put it to the Consciences of all People who have any sence of the Love of God in their Hearts Whether it can be safe for us to forsake the Way of peace and rest which God hath made manifest unto us and in which we have the Love of God with us and to go into a Way by force into which the Spirit of the Lord doth not lead us where we shall find anguish and sorrow and something separating us from the Love of God and where God would not speak peace to us but trouble surely we are perswaded to abide in that which the Lord hath made manifest to us and our faith is in the Power of God that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love of God. 6. Again we are perswaded to continue in the Way of Truth meeting together in the Fear of the Lord to serve him because we find the Lord requireth of us to bear a faithful Testimony and witness to his Name and Truth which he hath made known to us at this day and though man require the contrary and would force us to yeild yet we may not deny the Lord and his Truth but must bear witness to his Name in obedience to his Will for we are not our own but the Lords neither must we serve our selves nor do our own will nor the wills of others whose will is not according to the Will of God but we must serve the Lord and be faithful to him and we see we cannot serve two Masters nor cannot be partakers of the Love of God if we be in the love of the World and fâ—llow after the lusts of it and if we love any thing more than Christ we should not be true Disciples and Followers of him And if it be objected Why cannot you do as men would have you What God knows your Hearts and you may keep yuor Hearts to your selves and conform outwardly for all that It 's answered Nay we cannot because God requireth it of us to bear witness to his Name and Truth and we may not deal doubly or deceitfully in shewing that before men which we are not in our Hearts to God for the People that God hath formed to himself must shew forth his praise And though it be true that God knows the Heart of every one yet lie looks for Fruit also to be brought forth that we may be glorified It is recorded in the Scriptures that there were many occasions sought against Daniel but they could find none against him except it were concerning the Law of his God and they that hated him consulted to get a Decree that none should ask any Petition of God or man for thirty dayes save of the King if he did he was to be cast into the Den of Lyons and the Decree was sealed according to the Law of the Meades and Persians Now it cannot be denied but Daniel might have prayed to God in his heart and his evil-wishers have known little of it but he was taught by the Lord to pray openly and to confess unto him that he was great mighty and powerful And so though the Decree was sealed he as if he regarded it to not went and prayed to his God three times a day upon his knees with his Window open and his face towards Jerusalem and so held forth his Testimony and bore witness to the Lord that he was worthy to be sought unto and that he was not to be limited by an outward Decree though a strong one from praying and calling upon the Name of the Lord and the Lord vvas vvith him and though he suffered the adventure of being cast into the Lyons Den yet the God of Heaven was his Preserver and he held forth a precious Testimony and God was much glorified for it was said yea and proclaimed through many Nations that all should fear and worship the God of Daniel for there was no other God that could save in such sort And also the three Children that would not bow though the King had commanded it that when the Voice of the Musick was heard all should bow to the Image which he had set up yet they would not obey for it was contrary to the Law of their God and great Wrath was against them and the Furnace was very Hot yet the Lord saved them and they bore a precious Testimony to the Lord in Obedience to his Law and the Lord was much Glorified and was proclaimed through many Nations to be the onely and true God and the King himself did praise and honour and extol the God of Heaven all whose Works are Truth and his Wayes Judgement and those who walk in Pride he is able to abase But now if any should say These were Heathen Kings and so not to be obeyed It 's answered They are more excusable therefore than those that in words prosess themselves Christians and own Scriptures and the Saints practice and yet are found persecutthose who live in the Power of the Lord and forcing by pains and penalties not according to but quite contrary to the Practice of the Saints whose Words they profess and are found in the very steps of them who persecuted the Saints and Servants of God as the Scriptures testifie and are so far from the Doctrine of Christ as to forgive Trespasses and to do as they would be done unto and to love Enemies and to pray for them that Persecute them that they do absolutely Trespass against them who give them no just occasion and do to others as they would not be done unto were it their case and let God's Witness judge and doth even hate and cruelly handle their Friends who wish them well from their Hearts and presecute them who pray for them And surely for these things will the Lord Visit and in the mean time we find that the Lord requireth it of us to be faithful to him in what he hath made manifest unto us that we may bear a true Testimony and faithful Witness to the Truth and for the Lord that he may glorifie himself by us for we are not our own but his who hath formed us and called us to follow him And therefore let the wise in Heart judge Can it be safe for us to lose our Testimony and to cease following the Lord and living in that which he hath made known unto us to his mind and will concerning us in which we have the Arm and Power of the Lord with us and him to take our parts and to go to that which he hath not called us unto where we could bear no Testimony for him for he that goes from the Truth
which God hath made manifest lâ—seth his Testimony where fruits would be brought forth unto Death and not unto Life and the Hand of the Lord will turn against such for them that honour the Lord he will honour but they that slight his Counsel and despise his Will shall be lightly esteemed all which duly considered we cannot as we live to God but bear witness to his Name and hold forth that Testimony which the Lord hath committed unto us 7. Again We are given up to obey and serve the Lord according to that which he hath made known unto us because no man must give an account unto God for us or answer for us in his day when the secrets of all Hearts shall be manifest and he will reward every one according to their deeds Bâ—t we must stand before the Judgement-Seat of Christ to receive a Portion from him and not others for us Therefore we may not deny the Lord because of Force Pains Prisons or Penlties because they that so force us will not answer for us though weight enough may be upon themselves yet that would not free us if we should forsake the Way of the Lord made known to us And let all people in soberness judge what reason there is that others should force us from that which we believe to that which they believe and yet if we perish by that means they can neither help us nor answer for us Is it not therefore meet that we should live in that Way in which we dare dye and give up all unto the Lord in and not be forc'd out of that Way in which vve have Peace and Love and the presence of the Lord vvith us into a vvay vvhere pain and anguish would fill our hearts and leanness and emptiness would be upon our souls and yet they that forced us from our good Haven and safe Harbour where vve lay at Anchor safe from the storm vvould neither bring us to any sure resting place nor yet preserve us from Winds and Storms and terrible Tempests but vve must by reason of such a force unavoidably suffer shipvvrack We say We may call Heaven and Earth yea Angels and all just men to bear vvitness to our Cause yea and the Eternal God of Life in vvhose hand is the breath of all living to judge between us and our Persecutors in this matter Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness the People in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the Moth shall eat them up like a Garment and the Worm shall eat them like Wool but my Righteousness shall be forever and my Salvation from Generation to Generation Isa 51. 7 8. J. A. A Question Answered which was proposed by the Bishops Official at several Places in Westmoreland to the people called Quakers in his Visitation so called about the 7 th Month 1663. Question WHY do you not come to your Parish Church or to the place of publick Worship appointed by the Laws of the Land to hear Divine Service and to join in Prayer with the Congregation and to perform other Rites and Cerimonies of according to the Church of England Answ First the â—postle saith Let every Man be fully perswaded in his own mind Now we are not perswaded in our minds either that God requireth it of us to come to these Places to Worship him or that it can be proved by the holy Scriptures according to the Practice of the Saints that we ought to come to these Places Secondly because we are not perswaded in our minds and that upon good Grounds and Reasons according to the holy Scriptures That the Priests which there serve the Cure so called are Ministers of Jesus Christ sent of God But much perswaded in our minds that God never sent them And that for these four Reasons First Because their Call to the Ministry is not the same as were the Call of the Ministers of Christ Theirs was by the Spirit of Christ not of Man nor by Man Theirs are of Man and by Man Time servers Men pleasers Covenanbreakers having a face to serve every turn and time not serving the Lord but their own Bellies and they used to say before they abjured the Covenant that they had not the infallible Spirit which the Apostle had and what Spirit is entered into them since let all that fear the Lord judge Secondly Because we are not perswaded that their Practice in their Ministry is not according to the Practice of the Ministers of Christ but according to the practice of the false Prophets and false Apostles which the Scripture testifies against Thirdly Because their Maintenance in their Ministry is not according to the Maintenance of the Ministers of Christ but like the false Prophets and them that went in Cain's way and Balaam's way greedily after Gifts and Rewards yea and preparing War against them that puts not into their Mouths Fourthly Because we are perswaded that their Doctrine is not according to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles but the contrary for they deny the Light of Christ which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World to be spiritual and sufficient to guide in the ways of Peace and this is contrary to Christs Doctrine and his Apostles again they say all that ever people do is Sin while they are here though Saints and people must never have freedom nor victory over Sin while they live upon the Earth and this is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles They say all they do is Sin their best Actions are Sin their Prayers are Sin to this we consent therefore they are not the Prayers of the Upright which God delights in nor were they ever sent of God whose Prayers and best Actions are Sin â—nd therefore being the Hirelings and Strangers which Christ never sent we are perswaded we ought not to hear them nor go after them Again Thirdly we come not to these places because we are not fully perswaded in our minds that the people there met together are the true Church of Christ or his Members And that for these three Reasons First Because they are a Company of miserable Sinners that err and stray like lost Sheep from the ways of God and are grievous Offenders of Gods holy Laws as that themselves confess therefore say we unredeemed yet in the way of Death not in the way of Life yet we do not deny but confess that there is a time when people do so err and are out of the right way but this in the Unconverted state such are not the Church of Christ nor Members of his Body while they are dead in Sins and Trespasses for the Saints who are Members of the true Church are quickned by the Power of God and ate raised up to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Secondly The people there met together do that which they ought not to have done and leave undone that
which they ought to have done so are breakers of their Covenants and Vowes made in their Baptism which promised that they would forsake the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh c. And that they would keep Gods holy Will and Commandments c. But now they offend grievously Gods holy Laws and leaves that undone which they should do c. And their Teachers tell them they connot forsake the Devil and all his works but their best Actions and their Prayers are Sin while they live and all Sin is of the evil One Therefore we dare not joyn with them to commit Sin But if it be said these are but humble Confession to God laying our selves low and confessing our Sins which we ought to do when we pray to him Answer either your Confessions are true or a lye If true then you are breakers of your Vows and in the Unconverted state yet therefore not the true Church Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 4 10 11. Be not deceived neither Idolators nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilars nor Extortioners can Inherit it in that state And said the Apostle to the Saints Such were some of you but you are Washed but you are Sanctified but you are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And if your Confession be a lye then you are also manifest to be a Company of Dissembling Hypocrites and to be of him who was a Lyar from the Beginning and not Members of the Church of Christ Thirdly because the People there met together have no health in them therefore we are not perswaded in our Minds that we ought to joyn with them no health in them Christ is the saving Health of all Nations who believe in him therefore Christ is not in them so Reprobates concerning the Faith and not the Church of Christ nor Congregation of the faithful People but are disorderly out of the order of the Gospel and we are commanded to withdraw from all such as walk disorderly So we meet together in the Fear of God according to the Practice of the Saints and come not to these places which were the old Mass-Houses to Worship amongst those People which have no health in them and these are three Principal things upon which many more things will follow wherefore we do not go to these Places aforenamed J. A. The Coppy of a Letter sent unto two or three Persons in a Family Dear Hearts IN the Light of the Lord wait upon the Lord in his Fear to have your Minds stayed in his Will that you may walk in Obedience Uprightness in the Presence of the Lord to see him amongst you and in his Counsel abide every one faithful in the Calling and Measure which you have received and are called unto that orderly and in order you may wait and walk every one in particular and one towards another in Soberness and Wisdom that in Love you may be preserved and Truth adorned which you profess that God alone may be exalted I warn you and charge you that in Faithfuluess every one of you walk and in Diligence and Love that there be no Disorder Sloathfulness nor Carelessness but every one mind the Presence of him whose Eye is over you before whom all is naked and bare that you may walk in the Light and the pure Fear of God which will keep you Watchful and Sober in all diligence as unto the Lord knowing you must give an account to him And none be high minded but fear and be Low and Humble and take up the Yoke of Christ and learn there And take heed of your own wills which would lead you into the by-Parths But stand single in the Will of God waiting upon him continually that you may receive the living Mercies from him that your Souls may be nourished with the Food that is Immortal and this I lay upon you all that you be faithful and Diligent that all may be kept in Order and Love that the Family may be guided in Wisdom So my Dear Hearts in Love do I Salute you all and I remain your Dear Friend in that which endureth forever John Audland These following Epistles were found in Manuscript after the foregoing Books and Epistles were Printed To which is added George Fox's Testimony concerning John Camm and John Audland Dear Friends BRethren and Sisters Babes and Lambs Plants of my heavenly Fathers Planting my dear Love in that infinite unchangable Love of God doth my Soul Salute you all yea truly my Bowels of tender Love and Compassion unto the Seed of God in you all that you may be kept pure and blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and travel in pain until Christ be formed in you until the Babe be born in you which is Heir of the immortal Inheritance which never fades away Dear Hearts in the pure Light of Christ all dwell and abide which leads up into the pure Life where there is no Death where we shall all meet together and feed together at one Table and all Eat of one Bread of Life and Drink of one Fountain of living Water which nourisheth all up to the Everlasting Life where we shall meet together and sit together in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus where all Sorrow and Sighing shall fly away and there no Thief can come to rob us of our Crown Therefore in the Bowels of tender Love as a Brother I beseech you all to walk worthy of your Calling for holy is he that hath called you and holy is your Calling unto an holy Life and godly Conversation are you called and to a Separation from the World and to a daily dying to it and to a forgetting of all things which are behind and to walk up to those things which are made manifest in you by the Light which comes from Christ which being obedient unto it it leadeth up to Christ your Head and Example in all things and he was obedient unto the Death of the Cross and being faithful to the Light which comes from him it will lead you to the Death upon the Cross and Crucifie you unto the World and wordly things and raise you up into the pure Life to follow the Lamb whether soever he goeth and if you suffer with him you shall reign with him for he was perfect through Sufferings and through Sufferings and many Tribulations must you enter And therefore all come to the Cross and love it and rejoyce in it that you are counted worthy for his Name sake and take heed that none suffer as Evil-doers for there is no Joy for that nor no Crown nor Reward for these suffers not on the Cross and these Sufferings do not Crucifie but the Condemnation upon all such is Just by the Light which never changeth which comprehends all such hasty Spirits which run
will be to behold your Faces and to find you walking up orderly in your measure that when we see your Faces in the outward we may see you beautiful comely fresh and green casting a goodly Smell to all that come nigh you that so you may preach to the Heathen by your pure holy godly Conversation letting your Light so shine forth in your Lives that all who see your Conversation who are Enemies to the Truth may have their Mouthes stopt be ashamed and confounded and be made to confess that the Lord is with you So my dear Hearts all as one who abide in that which is one which unites knits your Hearts together and gathers up into it self in that we are with you present in that dwell and there you will be preserved kept safe from your Enemies and the eternal everlasting Love of God overshadow you and keep you in the pure power of the Lord over all the World to reign And so we cease to write but not to love you and to pray for you but remain your Friends in the unchangeable Love of God John Camm John Audland Dear and loving Friends IN the Eternal Fountain of Love we Salute you all even with the same Love wherewith our Father hath loved us the same flows out to you all to that which is of God in you to that we spake and to that we are made manifest even to that of God in all your Conscinces read in that and it will witness our love unto you all Dear Hearts dear and pretious you are unto us as you abide in the pure Light of Jesus Christ which he hath enlightned you withal in that we have Union with you and in that you will see our dear love to you all even such love as the World knows not for it far exceeds the Love of Women Oh we cannot forget you for you are our Epistles written in our Hearts for we see you daily and our Desires to the Lord are for you that you may stand in his Counsel and in his Will and in the daily Cross which will crucifie you to the world and the world to you and will make a separation in you and separate you from the world and draw yon out of it For your Hearts being in the world you are Enemies to God and Strangers to the Covenant of Grace for the Promise is not to that which flees the Cross but to that which stands in the daily Cross for all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen to the Seed but there is no Promise to that which turns away from the pure into the carnal from the Light by which you may come to witness your Redemption from the world into the Earth where the Curss is and where the Woe is for the Woe is to them that do inhabit the Earth and so all whose hearts are in the Earth and in the Fall and turned away from the pure Light are under the woes and under the curse and in the invention and in the witch craft and sorcery and here are all they who have received the Light which is pure and have turned from it into the carnal here is the Dog and the Swine which was washed which is turned to the Vomit and to wallowing in the mire and they who turn from the pure may which leads to Life turned into Cain's way and Balaam's way and Judas's way but we hope better things of you and such as accompany Salvation for we are perswaded that you will not put your hands to the Plow and look back for then you are not fit for the Kingdom remember Lot's Wife and hold fast that which you have received and walk in that which is made manifest and dwell in that which judges and condemns for sin for that leads out of Sin into the pure Paths of Righteousness and so the man of Sin is destroyed and the powers of Darkness removed the Captive redeemed and the Prisoner set free and the Cords of iniquity cut and the Bonds broken and that which is imprisoned and lead captive is brought into Captivity and judged and condemned by the Light so dwelling in the Light the righteous come to flourish and the pure come to grow and the Dead come to live for the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and he that hears shall Live and so Life comes to death and so the one lives in the death of the other for there is no reconciling of them for the one lives in the death of the other there is no communion between Light and Darkness betwixt Christ and Belial and therefore read within and see who is Head and who rules and hath Dominion and let the Light of God search and try you that so no Thief nor Enemy to your Souls may lodge within you but by the Light you may be judged and condemned Dear Hearts we are with you in the pure Life and our Bowels are turned within us for you Yesterday we were with you and broken and melted in remembrance of you it was the first Day of the week when we were at the Meeting in Chester our loves run out to you and the remembrance of you melted us and we think we saw it melting and breaking you Oh! the powerful God of Life throw down all his Enemies in you that he himself may rule and reign in you that Righteousness may run down as a stream and Eqnity as a mighty River that that we might see the fruit of our Labours and the disires of our Souls answered which is the Freedom of the Righteous Seed in every one of you that so the Eternal God of Power my be honoured and he alone glorified and your Souls edified and nourished which is the defire of us who truly love you in the Eternal Love of God. Dear Friends we hope we need not exhort you to meet together we think you do meet often in the Fear of the Lord and there to wait upon him in the Light and there you will find the Power of the Lord manifested to you and in you to the throwing down of strong holds of Sin and Iniquity and to Kill and Crucifie the old nature and to raise up the pure Eternal Life in you for by the Power of the Lord the dead are raised to Life and so waiting every one in your Measure in Faithfulness and Patience and in the Godly Fear you will come to seeth e fresh Springs opened and the pure Eternal Life made manifest in you and so you will see the Rocks rent and the Earth removed out of its place and the Mountains melted and the tall Cedars bowed down and all that is exalted laid low and the Lord alone exalted in you in that Day Dear Hearts let us hear from you with what speed you can and the Eternal and everlasting rich Love of our Father overshadow you and keep you in the hour of Temptation that you may stand stedfast and unmoveable in the
THE MEMORY OF THE Righteous Revived Being A brief Collection of the Books and written Epistles of John Camm John Audland Those two faithful and honourable Servants of the Lord who were called to the work of the Ministry in the morning of Gods blessed day dawned in this Generation and with other Brethren bore the heat and burden of the day faithfully to the end and finishing of their Course being entered into the joy of their Lord. Together with several Testimonies relating to those two Faithful Labourers Published for the Service of Truth and Friends By Thomas Camm Charles Marshal Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Rev. 14. 13. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars forever and ever Dan. 12. 3. The memory of the just is blessed Prov. 10. 7. The Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance Ps 112 9. London Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoredich and at the Three-Keys in Nage-Head-Court in Grace-Church-Street 1689. Thomas Camm's TESTIMONY CONCERNING John Camm and John Audland DEar Friends and Brethren in the fellowship of the eternal Spirit who are born again of the Immortal Seed my Life greets you all in the Lord and in his Love communicates what follows unto you wishing that all Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ may forever be multiplyed upon the whole Israel of God. Several Years it hath lived upoâ— my Spirit to collect and gather 〈◊〉 the Books and Writings togeâ—â—â—â— with some of the Labour◠〈◊〉 Travels of John Camm and John Audland those two eminent faithful and truly honourable Servants of the Lord Jesus in the Work of the Ministry to which they were called and chosen in the morning and breaking forth of that blessed and everlasting day in this our Age and Generation I say this concern hath lived with me though hitherto hath been obstructed partly in hope that some other might have undertaken the same work whereby I might have been excused and partly through the Service and Travels the Lord hath measureably concerned me in on the behalf of his Truth and People in late years But now being it hath fallen to my lot in Truths Testimony to be called to suffer Imprisonment and thereby at present freed from some of the aforesaid Service and Travels and the said concern hitherto resting upon my Spirit I was made willing to set to the Work being partly helped by others as to gather and transcribe their Books and written Epistles so many whereof as we could meet with are inserted hereafter in their proper places so near as we could being several of them without dates As for their Labours unwearied Travels Exercises Fastings Watchings Buffettings Scornings and Perils many ways and upon several occasions in full I cannot relate but shall give the Reader a short hint of some part of them as they may be brought to my remembrance in the following Testimony which lives upon my Spirit to bear for the Lord in the behalf of them as made Instrumental in his hand through the strength of his holy and eternal Arm of Power to and in them revealed to the exalting of his own Glory and the publishing of his everlasting Gospel-glad-tidings to the Poor and Redemption to the Poor and Redemption to the Prisoner of Hope in which blessed Work his Strength girded and his Power supported them in all faithfulness to presevere to the finishing of their Course here and having fought the good Fight they are entred into his everlasting Joy and Rest where they are freed from their many Labours Tryals and Exercises and their Works follow them glory to God for ever John Camm as he was my Father according to the Flesh so was he also a spiritual Father and Instructor of me in the way of Truth and Righteousness the which through the operation of the Word of Life measureably revealed in me in my Childhood became effectually to my Confirmation in that blessed Way for his tender eare was great for the Education of me and the rest of his Children and Family in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord and as he was sharp and severe in reproving every appearance of evil yet with Wisdom Gravity and great Discretion the which appeared also in his encouraging and strengthing every appearance of God in his Children Family and all People being an especial example in his life and conversation The place of his outward Birth was at Camsgil within the Barrony of Kendal in Westmoreland which place hath been possessed by his Ancestors long before him As for his Parentage and Education I shall not say much more then that it was honest and of good report as any of that degree in that par of the Country as many can testfie as also that he from his Childhood was inclined to be Religious and sought after the best things and ever since I can remember he was one that joyned in society with them that were the most strict and upright in the performance of religious Duties and ordered their lives most according to Holiness and Righteousness He having seen beyond the national Priests and their empty lifeless Forms and so separated from them still pressing forward towards a further manifestation and revelation of the Way of Salvation which his Soul hungred and thirsted after and therefore he with many others who were under the same sence of hunger often met together amongst themselves and some openings from the Lord several of them had from which they could have declared excellent things having some sight or comprehension thereof yet wanted the inward possession of the Vertue Life and Power of what they declared of and in this state continued many days But the fulness of time being come wherein the Lord in his everlasting loving-kindness did cause his day to spring from on high and his Light to break out of obscurity and his glorious eternal Gospel to be preached again upon the Earth and particularly in this our Nation having heard the cryes of the Poor and the sighings of the Prisoners in the Pit even then the Lord called and anointed several for his Work and Service to publish this blessed day to bring Glad-tidings and proclaim the Year of Jubile And first and more especially he called forth and made choice of his dear Servant and faithful Messenger to the Nations George Fox and sent him into the North Country and particularly into Westmoreland near Kendal where there was a Field white unto the Harvest a People ripe to be gathered who as abovesaid were separated in measure from the Worlds Worship and empty dry Forms of Religion in many things and met together as aforesaid having several that were become Teachers amongst them but the chiefest John Audland and Francis Howgil
quick Apprehension and great understanding of a noble Spirit yet in humility condescending to serve the least in Truth his Company was exceeding delightful and pleasant being always cheerful his discourse good and tending to Edification exceeding ripe in the Knowledge of the holy Scriptures and of a strong Memory he was often concerned in Disputations with Priests and other Opposers of the Way of Truth that he bore Testimony too and walked in and the Lord had richly furnished him for that Service to the stopping the Mouthes of Gain-sayers to Truths honour his Declaration and Testimony exceeding large free and affecting almost to all sorts of People many with great delight would flock to hear him in many places which made his Service very great in opening the way of Truth unto all he having a Word in season to all Conditions insomuch that he regarded not his outward Body but many times went beyond the natural strength thereof notwithstanding that he was young and strong yet in this Service was much spent several Years before he departed and laid down his Head. His Life was bound up in the Unity and Fellowship of Friends and Brethren his Labour was ever to conserve the same and prevent whatever would appear to divide As he was honourable in the esteem of Thousands that the Lord through him had called and brought many of them to the Knowledge of the way of Life and Salvation so also had he a right honourable esteem of such as were in Christ before him and especially dear George Fox by whom he was Convinced He was very tender to the springings of Life in Testimony in the least Babe always ready to encourage and give place to the same for it was his great Joy to see the Lord's Work to prosper and the Testimony of Truth to spring in every Bosom In Counsel and Advice he was endewed with heavenly Wisdom beyond many in reproving the Careless and Rebellious he was sharp and powerful In fine I have this to say that he was abundantly furnished with spiritual Gifts a chosen and honourable Vessel in the Hand of his God to the Praise and Glory of his eternal Name Many comfortable daies and times have I enjoyed with him whom I loved and honoured in the Lord and I am not unsensible of his Love to me our Hearts being perfectly united and knit together in that love that 's everlasting passing the love of Women I never thought Travel hard or tedious at any time so that I might enjoy his Company in which I was always delighted greatly satisfied whatever difficulty soever I under-went to obtain the same After he was first called forth into the Work and Service of the Lord he was very diligent therein almost in continual Travels and several times was in Prison for his Testimonies sake as at New-Castle in the North and Bristol often in great Perils in the beginning having many rough places to break through where many times he Suffered sore Beatings and many Strokes together with cruel Mockings Revilings and Scornings from the wicked Rabble often and sometimes from angry bitter-spirited Professors through and over all which the Lord preserved him to his own Glory to inherit a Kingdom that 's everlasting for he counted nothing dear unto him for the Gospels sake but left his dear Wife and Child whom he loved entirely and Trade and all to follow the Lord Jesus Christ the Captain of Salvation having an eye to the eternal recompence of Reward that the Lord hath given him fully to enjoy His dear Wife was not long after him called forth into the same Work and Service and Travelled into several Parts of the North Countrey and after into the South where at Banbury in Oxford-shire she was a Prisoner for one Year and several Months the Lord making her instrumental in his Hand to the turning many from Darkness to Light in that place and many other places where she Travelled When J. A. did grow weaker by his lingering Distemper of a sore Cough his Lungs wasting he would often complain of an inward soreness in his Breast though he seemed to look well being of a Ruddy and fair Complexion and would often say Ah! those great Meetings in the Orchard at Bristol I may not forget I would so gladly have spread my Net over all and have gathered all that I forgot my self never considering the imability of my Body but it s well my reward is with me and I am content to give up and be with the Lord for that my Soul values above all things Betwixt two and three weeks before he died he was taken as was supposed with an hective Feaver and daily it encreased upon him so that his sleep for many days and nights was taken from him in which time I was often with him being his desire and my delight to serve him in which time Friends in abundance flocked to visit him from several parts for as I said before he was a man greatly beloved of the Lord and all his People yea many of the World had a good esteem of and loved him and many times the Lord did wonderfully open his Mouth in Testimony to Friends as if he had been without sence of his Sickness to their great refreshment and exceeding joy and often he would be raised upon his Knecs upon his Bed and supplicate the Lord in the behalf of his whole Heritage and to prosper his Work in the Nation and Nations round about he said that there was nothing in all the World that he desired to live to enjoy except the comfortable enjoyment of his Friends and Brethren in the fellowship of the Life of Truth and that he might be a comfort to his dearly beloved Wife whose desolate condition he often bemoaned being so big with Child as that she was delivered of a Son about ten days after his decease but in this he said his will was in true subjection submitting to the Will of the Lord whether life or death to God he often and again committed and recommended all the whole Flock Heritage and Family of God together with his dear Wife and Child to be kept cared for and preserved saying that he would be a Husband to his desolate Widow and a tender Father to his fatherless Children often entreating his dear Wife freely to give him up to the Will and disposing of the Almighty whose he was being made acceptable in the beloved Son often sweetly comforting her in her Sorrow and great Distress making as little shew of his illness for her sake as ever he might yet we saw that he was under a great weight of Sickness and that his strength daily wasted so that in less then three weeks time after the Feaver took him he finished here and was sweetly taken to rest in the joy of the Lord for ever more it being the day of the first Month 1663. and the next day was accompanied to his Grave by many Friends and others and his Body enterred in the
of deliverance to the captivated Souls and to say unto Sion that her King reigns And thus the Eternal God having fitted and furnished his dear Servant he called him forth into several parts of the Nation and the Lord appeared with him in his glory and gave him Authority in his Power even to tread upon Scorpions and to put to flight the Armies of the Alians God having given him the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in season to the Weary and heavy Laden and Wisdom to divide that word aright which he had put in his Mouth to publish in his Name by which he became eminent in his work and service a blessing to Thousands who can bless the Lord on his behalf How great was his Travels in Soul Body and Spirit how unwearied in his Labours and how manifold his Tryals and Sufferings in full is beyond my ability to relate notwithstanding that I knew more thereof then any other living but inasmuch as my now dear Husband hath in his foregoing Testimony in part hinted at them and happily may be added to by some other in or about Bristol where his Labours Travels and Sufferings was exceeding great I shall not much endeavour to under take that work being well satisfied that whether any thing had been related thereof or no it s known to the Lord and lives in the remembrance of Thousands who can testifie to his faithful and effectual Labours in the Word and Gospel in his day and that he counted not his life dear that he might be found in the discharge of a good Conscience in that concern in the sight of God and men who are his living witnesses this day to the praise of the eternal God to whom alone belongs all the Glory for ever He was a man of an exceeding sweet disposition unspeakably loving and tenderly affectionate always ready to lend a helping hand to the weak and needy open-hearted free and near to his Friends deep in the understanding of Heavenly Mysteries willing and able to give advice and counsel to the afflicted and bowed down with whom he alwayes did sympathize in their sufferings he was abundantly filled with Love and endeared kindness to all his Brethren and fellow Labourers in the Gospel and had an honorable esteem of the least that was faithful in that work and his life was bound up in the unity and fellowship of the Spirit with them whatever would in the least appear to break that bond amongst Friends he was sharpe in the Authority of Truth against to judge the same He was greatly beloved and highly esteemed of in the Lord for his works sake notwithstanding not lifted up thereby but preserved in great humility and lamb-like lowliness never seeking to Lord over Gods Heritage but to serve the least for the Gospels sake always detesting self exaltation in whom soever it appeared His Body and outward Strength was much spent through his great Labours for several Years before the Feaver took him of which he dyed so that he under-went many wearisome nights through the exercise of a most violent Cough though he bore it with unspeakable patience and contentedness In the time of his sickness which was sharp and strong upon him after the Feaver took him so that his Sleep was taken from him for several days and nights yet he bore it also with wonderful Patience being always of an exceeding cheerful Spirit Friends daily coming to visit him in abundance from several parts he was often drawn forth in a living sweet Testimony the Lords Power and Life living with him to the great refreshment and tendering of the Hearts of many he was also exceedingly filled with the high Praises of God being as one overcome and ravished in the sence of Gods Love Joy and Peace everlasting When he grew weak he would be helped up upon his Knees and upon his bed sweetly supplicate the Lord in the behalf of Friends present and all the Lords Flock and Heritage every where that they might be preserved in his powerful Truth and out of the evil of the World and that his Truth and Gospel might be more and more spread and published to the gathering of all that appertain to Israel He was greatly afficted in the sence of my Sorrow occasioned by his great weakness which I saw daily to encrease upon him lamenting my desolate ondition to be left so Big with Child as that I was within a few dayes after his Death delivered and therefore did very wisely and tenderly comfort me withal desiring me to give him up freely ro the disposing of the Lord whose he was and enjoyed his pure peace And although it was hard to part with so dear and beleved a Husband yet the Lord strengthened me and I seeing the extremity of his Distemper to be exceeding heavy upon him and to encrease I was made willing to go to him and freely recommend him into the Hands of the Eternal Living God to dispose of him according to his divine Pleasure and unsearchable Wisdom and Counsel whether Life or Death the which added to his ease and my peace in true submission to the Will of the Lord so his Body daily weakning and his Distemper prevailing he notwithstanding being mostly kept sensible to the last continuing in Prayer and Praising the Lord often and again recommending me and his Daughter then living whom he dearly loved into the keeping of his God with Supplication that he would be an Husband to his desolate Widow a Father to his Fatherless Children he sweetly fell on sleep and finished his Course the year time by my now Husband before set down being passed into the fulness of eternal Joy which his Eye was only to and his Soul breathed for more then length of days in the enjoyment of the World or its Riches Glory Glory and eternal Praises to the Lord for ever and for evermore Amen How hard it was and how great a loss to part with so dear and tender an Husband as he was to me it being always I can truely say his joy and delight to add to my ease good and content every way especially my estate and condition being considered is far beyond what I can express the dolour of my Heart my Tongue or Pen is not able to declare yet in this I contented my self that it was the Will of the Lord and that he was taken from the evil and freed from his manifold exercises and that my loss though great was not to be compared to his eternal gain being entered into that everlasting and blessed rest with the Lord prepared in the Heavens for all the faithful Followers of the Lamb through the many Tribulations where being freed from all Pain and Sorrow and Tears being wiped away shall for ever Praise the Lord upon mount Sion Great was his joy in the prosperity of the Work of the Lord in the Hands of his Servants called thereto and who were faithful therein his Soul honoured for their
Mercy and loving Kindness of the Lord has not been answered behold sower Grapes and wilde Fruit was brought forth and what was the consequence of it Was it not the taking away the Hedge through which it was eaten up and breaking down the Wall thereof and it was trodden down Read see feel and consider and the Lord God Almighty visit you in your Habitations and secret Chambers in his holy dread with his searching Life and piercing Word of Power who in his tender infinite Love and Mercy long-Sufferings great Bowels to his Seed and Off-spring visited us in his pure morning aforementioned to give all the sence of their inward states as they are in his sight from whom nothing can be hid And now dear Friends the cause of the hindrance of the prosperity of the work of the Lord in the Souls of any hath not been from any cause in God or deficiency in his Light Power and Wisdom but from the Creatures going out of a capacity of receiving and enjoying the working Power of God in which Salvation is worked out by all that wait for it and joyn with it and cleave to it and not forsake it for I have learned of the Lord through many exercises unexpressible that after the Visitation of the Almighty to any Soul the Lord requires an inward worthy receiving his Love spiritual Watch to be kept in his holy Light in which all the workings and approaches of the destroying Adversary of the Soul is discerned and the enlightned and obedient mind is preserved and through the spiritual fence given in a tender waiting on the Lord in the inward part supplicating breathings ariseth to the living eternal God of Love and Compassion who beholding the want of the Soul descends in his Love and reaches forth his helping Hand to the broken and contrite Hearted and lifts up the bowed down Spirit with the liftings up of his holy spiritual Standard so the Temptation and Assaults of the Enemy is vanquished and overcomse and the Power of God is felt in thoe that descend with it in humility to be working on the Root as an Ax and on the Rocky as a Hammer and Chaffy as a Fire Now Friends when there is an abatement of the inward and spiritual care and a gradual lessening of the inward watchfulness then the mind becomes both unworthy and uncapable of the enjoyments of the Power of the Lord that begun and carryeth on the Work of the Lord so then the Enemy comes as not seen through the minds being out of the holy Watch in the Light the nature that was wounded comes to be healed again and ease given to that which should be destroyed so the Enemy perceiving where the weakness is and how and by what means he has gotten a little enterance he endeavours in all subtilty and vigilency by presenting matters and subjects to lead by degrees out of a watchful state and according to every degree of digression he brings over the once enlightned mind a proportion of darkness and deceiveableness of Understanding and insensibility of Spirit in the in ward feeling part of the subtilty of the Enemy of the Soul who thus works that with the declining there may be a proportion of benuming all the inward sences of Seeing Hearing and Feeling and then again he has Mankind in a state fit to work upon by drawing them out by his Power to act and bring forth that which he sees them most capable of and which there is the greatest inclination in their natures to go into hence Schisms arise in Judgments which the wrathful part in Man getting into he works by the way of a fierce management with a sort of Zeal but not according to Knowledge in which the power of the Enemy works up at last into a Schism and the Enemy is never wanting to present matters to the mind as just for the Creature to be blown up with which ends in dishonouring the Lord and his precious Truth and hurting and harming others until the Enemy has worked his end by such Instruments bringing them into an Alienation from the Life of God into a worse state then the tender day of God's Visitation found them in and so if not humbled under the mighty Hand of God and returning they are exposed to Shame and so dies away under the Wrath of God. Now dear Friends the Enemy of Sions Prosperity works variously according as he sees where he may get an entrance by proportionating his Snares to the inclinations of every one as before is hinted c. Where he sees an inclination in any to be taken with the earthly things there he works subtilly to captivate the mind and draw it out of the watchful tender spiritual state into a false Liberty both to the affections to the things acting and possessed and in the conversation amongst Men others into superfluities in Meat Drink and Apparel on themselves and houses and such their comforts stand most in outward things and by degrees are swallowed up of them and the Pleasures Lust and Delights below and so they dye to an inward Life of watchfulness and freshness which is preserved in fear and dread in keeping the holy Watch and in the spiritual Cross which Crucifies to the World and the World to it Now dear Friends here is our spiritual Incouragement viz. The same that through Death to Sin made us alive to God as we abide under the leadings and teachings of it keeps us alive to him in a growing increasing fresh flourishing state for as we delight in his eternal Law of Life we grow as Willows by the Water-courses of Immortal refreshings and Travel faithfully on in our spiritual Journey until we come to Sion the City of God and then are Enjoyers of the end of all our Tryals and Tribulations having overcome we see an enterance administred and that abundantly into the eternal Rest and Sabboth of our God. The Lord Almighty give all to enjoy this blessed Portion and goodly inheritance and let all see in this Age and the Ages to come all that which lets and hinders them taken out of the Way that the God of all our Mercies in whom is all our fresh Springs may have his Honour and Glory his Church and People through Ages the Comfort and Consolation Amen Amen C. Marshall A Testimony concerning the Precious Unity of the Spirit in Christ Jesus THe Unity of the Spirit is so precious a vertue and glorious a Qualification in all the Churches of Christ Jesus that whilest the people of the Lord did abide therein in every Age they were in a thriving flourishing sweet and glorious station for as long as they truely held the Head Christ Jesus and kept in Unity with him Unity and Amity was preserved amongst them in their several stations and services as Members of one Body c. Of which Unity David speaketh preciously and comprehensively saying Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in
his Power will descend wonderfully in an increasing manner and his Glory will shine his River of Life flow yea rhe Spring of the great deep will be broken up and the Windows of Heaven will be opened that you may be abundantly filled with Joy and Thanksgivings holy Renown and Songs of deliverance with spiritual high Praises ascending his Throne which will be as sweet Incense and a Sacrifice acceptable to our God. And here you shall spend the residue of your days in Dominion over both the Snares of the Enemy attending Prosperity and Liberty Adversity and Persecution seeing over all things that have their rise in Mortality and Time feeling Mortality swallowed up of Life immortal and so gathered to the general Assembly to the Church of the first born to the Spirits of just Men made perfect yea to the first and last God the Judge of all to whom be immortal high Praises and holy Renown for ever and for evermore But if the wonderful Blessings tender Mercies and following loving Kindnesses that the Lord God Almighty every way extends unto us in this Age be not duely reverently and obediently taken notice of but instead thereof any shall forsake and be unmindful of the Lords tender Mercies and thereby imbrace lying Vanities going out of the spiritual Diligence into a spiritual Idleness through which a spiritual Slumber overtakes and the Lamp thereby be inwardly neglected the spiritual Watch and Cross slighted and not duely regarded but the Earth and earthly things take up the exercise of the Mind and Affections Then I say instead of injoying what is above expressed Tribulation and Anguish will seize upon all such and the dreadful Judgement of the eternal God that lives for ever and ever will overtake all such unfaithfulness A dreadful Cup ye shall drink of from the Hand of God and distress from the rebukes of the Lord shall distress you and you shall be numbred amongst the people of his Indignation in his dreadful approaching day of signal pleadings with all Flesh that have corrupted its way before him and therefore hear fear and dread the holy Name of the Lord and whilest it s called to day bow before him and speedily return unto him least your day pass over and ye sleep the Sleep of eternal Death and Destruction and be separated for ever from his refreshing Presence in which is Life and from the glory of his divine Power Therefore all dear Friends every where retire inwardly see feel and understand the Counsel of the Lord which unto you springs all retire inward that are not there in great humility before the Lord that you may feel the blessed Work of God blessedly begun perfecting your inward man growing in the Root of Life and as you have professed the Knowledge of a spiritual Oracle before the Nations you may approve your selves in the sight of God following its Instructions in all things and go not without it lean upon the Lord and cry to him to gu de you with his Eye and lead you by his Arm and so guide you in the way everlasting and this is his promise whilest you keep with him he will be with you never leaving nor forsaking you if you do not leave and forsake him his Presence and glorious Arm of Salvation shall surround you to the renown of his Name and consolation of his People Amen Amen C. Marshall The Several BOOKS EPISTLES Written By those Two Faithful Servants of the LORD John Camm and John Audland John Camm to O. Cromwell ON the last day of the first Moneth called March about two of the Clock in the Morning I was moved of the Lord to write these ensuing Lines and to lay before thee the cause of our coming hither to London Friend we came not to thee to Petition any thing from thee in the outward but in the tender Bowels of Love to exhort thee to mind thy own condition how thou standest in relation to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is Powerful and Pure and Holy who will not acquit the Wicked but will wound the hairy scalp of him who goes on in iniquity before whose Presence all stands naked and bare who knows and sees all the secrets of thy Heart thy out-goings and in-comings to whom thou must give account of all things done in the Body whether they be good or evil Therefore in love to thy Soul were we moved to come to exhort thee to stand in the fear of the Lord and in his Counsel and to mind the Light in thy Conscience which is puâ—e and oâ— God to guide thee in the great Affairs of the Nations for to keep in his fear is safe for dreadful and terrible will the day of the Lord be to all who are found out of his fear and acting in their own wills and bounding and limiting the Spirit of the Lord and walking contrary to the pure Law of God the Light in their Consciences And we knowing the Terrors of the Lord were moved to exhort thee in love to thy Soul for the righteous Seeds sake which lies in bondage every where under the oppressing nature that thou might'st be an Instrument in the Lords Hand to take off Oppression from of the necks of the â—eople and to remove their Yoke which hath been promised long and now the power is in thy Hand and thou must give an account to the Lord how thou hast Ruled for him for the mighty day of the Lord is come and is coming wherein all Faces shall gather blackness it is a day of Darkness of bitter Lamentation and Woe at whose Presence the Mountains shall melt and the Hills shall tumble down before him and all the tall Cedars shall bow and the strong Okes shall be broken down and the Roofs rent and the Earth shall remove out of its place it s a day wherein the Lord will plead with all Flesh with his Sword and with Fire In which day the Lofty shall be brought down and the Lord alone exalted which day we witness fulfilled in us in measure Praises Praises to the Lord God for evermore And therefore Friend we having this Testimony made manifest in us by the eternal Spirit of God we declare this unto thee that thou mayest not be found acting against the Truth for they who are guided by the Spirit of God will do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth By which Spirit we are gathered out of the World up to God and have escaped the Polutions of the World and by it we are brought in obedience to the pure Law of God which is written in our Hearts and his Spirit within us is our Teacher and so we deny all the teachings of Men who have not this Law and Spirit to guide them and for so doing we suffer by them who are not guided by that Spirit For my Sheep know my Voice saith Christ and they follow me and will not follow a Stranger and we know the voice of Christ
our Ministry begotten into a lively hope in Christ Jesus by the immortal Seed of the Word of God and ye are our Witnesses that we seek not our selves but you nor our own good but the Glory of our God and the recovery of his own Image and the freedom of the Righteous that the Name of our God may be exalted and that he may reign over all and have Dominion in every one of you that you may witness your Head exalted dwell in the pure eternal Light of Christ Jesus which doth discover and make manifest all the deeds of darkness and lays open all deceit and brings it to the righteous Law of God and so condemns Sin in the Flesh and sets up judgment in the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof learn righteousness and when this is witnessed the Oppressor is cast out and the Vail is rent and the bonds of Iniquity is broken and the Serpents Head is bruised and the Seed of the Woman raised which all the Promises of God are yea and Amen unto yea and he fetches up out of time into the beginning before Sin was and leads up into eternity where time shall be no more and therefore dear Hearts all wait in that which you have received the Light which comes from Christ that by it you may come to injoy the pure Life and have Power over all your Enemies for as many as receive him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God and gives them victory over the World to tread and to trample upon it and therefore all of you dwell low and in the pure fear of the Lord abide and in his Counsel stand and be faithful in what you know and imp ove it to the glory of the immortal God that you may be the good Servants and enter into the Joy of your Lord and as you dwell low in meekness and in the pure Fear there you will find the Lord present teaching you and leading you gently by the Hand and open unto you a door of hope and the fresh springs will be opened and the thirsty Land will be refreshed and so you will come to witness the spring time after the Winter be past and the Roses to bud and the Flowers to cast a sweet smel upon the Earth but this is to you my little Ones who is come and coming through the Sword which cuts down the earthly man of Sin it is to you who witness great Tribulation who knows the Day of the Lord to be a day of darkness and not Light and that it is a day that will and doth burn up all the wicked as Stubble and scatter them as the Wind scatters the Chaff and his is the Figure and they who are wicked may read their Portion for the Childrens Bread must not the Dogs have but unto you that fear the Name of the Lord shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing under his Wings and the Secrets of the Lord will be revealed unto you and you shall want no manner of thing that is good as you abide in his Fear and stand in his Will in the daily Cross which Crucifies the Earthly man and works out that nature which hath Crucified the Just and Righteous One and so as you dwell and are faithful to the Light you come to injoy the Life and grow up in the Life and the pure Eye will be more opened in you by which the Enemy the Tempter will be seen and now you had need to stand upon your watch for the Devil like a roaring Lyon will seek to devour you and Pharaoh will pursue you as you come from under his kingdom and dominion and therefore what I say unto one I say unto all watch and be sober stand with your armour on the whole Armour of God by which you may be able to drive back all the fiery Darts of the Enemy and have Oyl in your Lamps burning continually and all who have desires after the Lord whose minds is convinced of the Eternal Truth in that which doth convince you dwell and wait for the Power of the Lord to shake the Earth and rent the Rocks and melt the Mountains and remove the Earth out of its place and the Heart to purge and cleanse and make a place of holiness of the Lord of Hosts to dwell in and when the Lord comes this to do in you dwell in and love judgment that so Sion may be set free And so all dear Hearts wait in your Measures which you have received of the Lord and in them be faithful that so you may increase in the increases of God and have dominion over all the Beast of the Field and the Fowles of the Aire and Fishes in the Sea and over all unclean Spirits and be kept pure in your places that so the Lord God may dwell amongst you and delight to do you good So the Eternal Everlasting Love of God keep you all and preserve you pure in your Measures that he alone may be glorified and exalted over all to reign in you and that all that oppress him and his Goverment in you may be destroyed and this is the desire and prayer to God for you of us who dearly loves you who desires nothing but that the Lord may be Glorified in you and by you so fare you all well and the God of Power keep you now and evermore Amen Yours in the Bond of Love which cannot be broken from its own Image This is to all who love the the Lord Jesus Christ in Truth and sincerity at and about Bristol and Aulston to be read amongst you all our dear Ones John Camm John Camm's Letter to Friends in Bristol from Preston Patraick in Westmorland LOving Friends of Bristol and all round about who are faithful in your Measures and with the prosperity of Sion I have writ a Letter to be read amongst you all and that you may read it within your selves and witness it and with that I have union which witnesseth it in Life but with that which is in Knowledge and Comprehension without Life I have no union but by that which I have union with shall it be judged and condemned for it shall try all and condemn all that is not of it self but acted in the earthly Wisdom and it will not stand in the presence of the Lord who is pure and all shadows shall fly before him and therefore in the the substance dwell which comprehends the shadows and so I bid you all farewel J. C. DEarly beloved Friends in our Head the Lord Jesus Christ doth my Soul Salute you all who are faithful in your Measures and obedient to the Light of Christ Jesus which is made manifest in you which being faithful in will lead you up to Christ your Head to exalt him over all in you all that he may reign whose right it is in you and that his Scepter of Righteousness maybe swayed in you and the strong man armed may be bound and spoilled
and Life for evermore in which Power and Life I am with you bound up and sealed and continues forever to be your dear Brother in the Unity of the Spirit and in the Bond of Peace And Grace Mercy Peace Love and Unity from the Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied in you and amongst you and the God of Power Peace and Love keep you pure and single and preserve you for evermore Moved of the Lord farewell Your Dear Brother in that which never changeth John Audland John Audland's Letter c. DEarly beloved ones in the Lord Jesus Christ Grace Mercy and Peace from God be multiplied to you and in you you my dear ones whom my Life reacheth out unto with whom I am present in the eternal Spirit of the living God in the pure eternal Love and Life of God do I Salute you and greet you as with a holy Kiss the Love of God which is shed abroad in my heart runs forth freely to you Lambs of God Babes of God to you my Life doth reach Little Children who are begotten to a lively hope by the Resurrection of the Dead to you I write from the pure Life to the stiring up of your pure minds that in the pure mind you may abide in the lively hope quietly to wait for the Revelation of the Son of God in you which is ready to be revealed now in the last time that you may witness him the sâ—eond time without Sin unto Salvation who comes to condemn Sin in the Flesh who is now making himself manifest to take away Sin that you may witness him without Sin the Lamb without Spot who takes away Sin to know him and be in him without which there is no knowledg of him and to abide in him who gives an understanding to know him which is eternal Life this to witness to you this is the Word of the Lord little Children that you may wait as new born Babes to be fed with the sincere Milk of the Word that by it you may grow up into him and in him who is the Word which reconcileth to God which Hammers down all deceit which burns up all the dross which treads down all the wicked under his Feet whose Vesture is dipt in Blood who treads the Wine Press whose Arm alone brings Salvation to this People whose Name is called the Word of God which Word doth divide and separate betwixt the precious and the vile which Word is nigh you in your Hearts and in your Mouths abide in it and wait upon it and take counsel at it continually as at the Oracle of God by which hearing comes and faith comes which gives the victory over the World and leads you to deny the World little Children Heirs of another World so in that continue which hath turned your minds from the World towards God from the Darkness to the Light which leads up to Christ from the World and guides unto God and keeps in the way to eternal Inheritance which never fades that through many tribulations you may see the entrance into the Kingdom where the World is overcome and he raigns who overcomes the World so abiding in him you abide in peace out of the World where there is trouble and there is your reward verily my dear ones all the sufferings of this present World is not worthy to be named with the Glory that is revealed at the revelation of the Son of God so in the Light abide which leads up to the perfect Day and walk as Children of the Day redeeming your time and prising your time the large Love of the Lord and his benefits may never slip out of your minds so in the presence of the Lord do I exhort you my beloved ones in the Lord and charge you to abide in him that you may grow up in the Unity of the Spirit and keep the Unity that which goes out breaks the Unity and to you this is the Word of God little Children Your Brother in the unchangable Love in the eternal Vnity of the Spirit John Audland The 28th day of the 8th Month 1654. A Letter sent unto Charles Marshall by John Audland 1654. I am moved to write unto thee to stand still in the Light which shows thee thy wretched state by that Light thou comest to see thy self where thou art and how thou hast spent thy time thy knowledge of God and profession of God now comes to wither that which thou hast gathered without perisheth and stands thee in no stead Now in that that shows thee thy condition wait that the judgment of the Lord may be made manifest in thee upon the head of the wicked and through judgment Sion may be set free Abide in that which is the condemnation of all that 's wicked both within thee and without thee start not aside from the judgments of the Lord for his judgments are righteous and all his ways are equal if thou art brought as low as Hell yea if thou come to say there is no hope let Patience have her perfect work in thee and stand still and see the Salvation of God and a way will be made beyond thy understanding for the deliverance of the oppressed for the freedom of his chosen for the bringing of the Prisoner out of the Prison-House Now Friend from the Lord do I speak unto thee to wait in the Light that shews thee thy condition that thou mayst know one of the Days of the Son of Man which came not to send peace on the Earth but a Sword and to kindle a Fire and thou wilt love to know his judgments he comes to shut and to open thy right Eye must be pluckt out and that Eye opened which the Prince of the Air hath blinded in the Chrildren of disobedience Abide in that which judgeth do not labour to get peace to that that 's now wounded that the Judgments of the Lord may pass through the Earth and the Serpents head come to be bruised and the promise of God be made manifest unto the seed and through judgment the door of Mercy comes to be opened Judgment upon the unjust is mercy to the just which hath been oppressed by the unjust And to thee this is the Word of the Lord he that comes to the Worlds end comes to his Wits end before that World be known which never shall have end and that fruitful Field must become a barren Wilderness and the pure Plant of Gods own planting must spring out of a barren Ground so in the Light which is of God by which thou seest thy condition stand and wait for the Power of the living God to be made manifest in thee that that which hath been high might be brought low and that of low degree exalted and to thee this is the Word of the Lord to that in thy Conscience I speak by which Light thou now standest condemned by which Light all that walk in it are justified and led up to God and the precious seperated
Eternal Strength and Power of the Lord and in his Light to keep that you may see the Tempter and his Temptations and so you may escape them So that the mighty Power of the Eternal only Wise God keep and preserve you all and give you Dominion of and over all the Beasts of the Field and Fowls of the Air that you may reign above the World and tread upon it to his own everlasting Praise and Glory Amen Farewel Dear Hearts our Life is with you and as you grow into the Life you are near and dear unto us for the Life is but one so we cease to writ but still we are with you our Dear Ones our Love is great unto you you may read it in the Light and feel it in the Life Farewel yours in the unchangeable Love. Salute us to all our Friends John Camm John Audland FRiends of God and Brethren a Warning to you all from the Lord God and Jesus Christ that all what you speak it may be plain in plainness of speech according to that of God in you the Light Christ that all your words be words of Life to the Life and death to the death where it reigns above the Light and that all the words which are spoken may be in plainness of speech and with the Light and in it that the Light of Christ in all Consciences which he hath inlightned every one withal may witness the Words to be Words of Life so that dwelling in the Light to that which shall condemn all the World you may be made manifest the Light in all Consciences which shall be their Condemnation you that dwell in the Light walk in the Light as Children of the Light use plainness of Speech and plain Words single Words in the single Life pure Words from the pure Life seasoned Words seasoned with Grace and Savoury seasoned with the Grace of God which tâ—acheth to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts who live in Ungodliness and worldly Lusts turn this Grace of God into Wantonness which are light and vain whose Words are not savoury and seasoned with Grace whose Words edifie not upon whom God will render Vengence in Flames of Fire which shall be separated from his Presence and his Angels Therefore Friends plainness of Speech all dwell in which dwelling in the Light it will bring you into Plainness and few Words to live in the Life that gave forth the Scriptures and to grow up in the Life which gave forth the Scriptures before the Scriptures were given forth and in it you will see their Conditions that dwelt in the Life and gave forth the Scriptures and with this Light you will see their conditions which was testified who was out of the Life with them who was out of the Life with them who dwelt in the Light and with it all comes to be seen and read and understood which was given forth with the Life and from the Life and all come to be known in plainness and with Plainness it is spoken forth again which came not by the will of man for no Prophesie of the Scriptures came by the will of man all the Prophesies of it were out of the will of man and they witnessed and Prophesied of Christ who was born not by the will man which was supposed to be the Son of Joseph which was the Son of God and all the Apostles were made Ministers by the Will of God and not by man nor of man but by the Will of God and so then they witnessed Christ who were not born by the will of man which were made Ministers not by the will of man and they witnessed that no Prophesie of the Scripture in old time came by the will of man neither was it of any private Interpretation but holy men of God did speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost the Holy moved which is but one and all who be in their own will and have the Scriptures and make a Profession of it which came not by the will of man are in the Blasphemy and Persumption the Unpardonable Sin and with the Light of Christ which hath enlightened every one that cometh into the World with that Light shall they be condemned that hate it and live in your own wills and so the Unity is in that which condemns the World and all that live in their own wills which come not by the will of man for they who live in their own wills and make a Profession of the Scriptures there are the Sects and Opinions and there is no Unity and they have not Unity among the Sects but only in nature a Oneness but in their meaning they have not Unity in their meaning in the Letter yet one in Nature that which comes not by the will of man but is contrary to his will and contrary to all the World and overturns them which is according to that of God in all Consciences in that we have Unity which shall Testifie against every mans Face when he acts contrary to it and with it he shall be judged and condemned in his own Knowledge and Understanding And you all walking in the Light it will bring you all to Plainness and Pureness and Singleness of Speech which will make the deceit to tumble and the mystery of iniquity to shake which lodgeth in the Temple of God and sits there where it ought not and is exalted above that which is called God now with the Brightness of his coming he is discovered and with the Breath of his Mouth he is consumed so dwelling all in the eternal Power of God and the pure Light of God that you may be a terror to all Evil-doers and to all Ungodliness and to all who act in unrighteousness and live in Uncleanness and so you will come to use plain Words and plainness of Speech to them all no Flattering shall dwell no Inchanter no Witch shall live no Hypocrisie shall stand before the Judgment of God but shall be as the Chaff and shall be driven to and fro that the Scriptures may be fulfilled upon them and all that are out of the plainness with the Light that Christ hath enlightned them withal with that eternal Light shall they be condemned and confounded in time for this Light is out of time though it be as in time which lets Men and Women see all their actings done in time and hating this Light is their condemnation and all loving this Light and walking in it you come to walk in that which is the World's Condemnation and shall condemn the World from God from Christ and all who are of God To you all this is the Word of God which is against all mens wills that in that which is contrary to the wills you may all wait and walk for that will lead you from all your thoughts and desires and with it you shall have them all judged there wait and you will witness the Birth born not by the will of man and this is